A Wonderful Day in the Lord: Recent Episodes
Gary Gilley
Join us daily Monday through Friday for a short devotional with Southern View Chapel's senior pastor, Gary Gilley.
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapelInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVCTo learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVCTo learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVCTo learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVCTo learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVCTo learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVCTo learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVCTo learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVCTo learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVCTo learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVCTo learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVCTo learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVCTo learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
We finish the week looking at how we glorify the Lord with our lives. We turn to the Scriptures for a few more ways in which we can glorify Him. We hope you will join us!Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Have you ever considered giving as how we worship God? The Bible talks about that, and that’s what we are going to discuss today! We hope you will join us!Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Have you ever considered service as how we worship God? The Bible talks about that, and that’s what we are going to discuss today! We hope you will join us!Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
We continue our look at individual worship today. We turn to Scripture as we discuss the worship of God through prayer. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast, we turn to the book of Romans. We find three “gifts” of worship that the Lord requests of us before Him. We hope you will join us to find out what they are!Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVCTo learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...#bookofjob #religiouseducation #bible #biblestudy #wisdom
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVCTo learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...#bookofjob #religiouseducation #bible #biblestudy #wisdom
Today we review the many wonders the Lord has enlightened Job to. In review, we are better prepared to look forward as the Lord continues revealing His majesty to Job. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we review the many wonders the Lord has enlightened Job to. In review, we are better prepared to look forward as the Lord continues revealing His majesty to Job. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we review the many wonders the Lord has enlightened Job to. In review, we are better prepared to look forward as the Lord continues revealing His majesty to Job. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we review the many wonders the Lord has enlightened Job to. In review, we are better prepared to look forward as the Lord continues revealing His majesty to Job. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVCTo learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
Today we review the many wonders the Lord has enlightened Job to. In review, we are better prepared to look forward as the Lord continues revealing His majesty to Job. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we review the many wonders the Lord has enlightened Job to. In review, we are better prepared to look forward as the Lord continues revealing His majesty to Job. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we review the many wonders the Lord has enlightened Job to. In review, we are better prepared to look forward as the Lord continues revealing His majesty to Job. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVCTo learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
Today we review the many wonders the Lord has enlightened Job to. In review, we are better prepared to look forward as the Lord continues revealing His majesty to Job. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Elihu has found an opportunity to speak up. He has been sitting in the shadows listening to Job and his friends, and he has something to say. Join us today as we see Elihu set up his words of wisdom for Job.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Elihu has found an opportunity to speak up. He has been sitting in the shadows listening to Job and his friends, and he has something to say. Join us today as we see Elihu set up his words of wisdom for Job.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
We turn to Job 32 today. Here we find clarity revealing Job’s true spiritual condition at this time. We also are introduced to a new friend of Job’s, Elihu. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
We listen to more of what Job has to say in Job 31 today. He still wants an answer from God for the things that He has allowed to transpire in his life. We hope you will join us today.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we look at Job 30. We find Job is disappointed with God as he continues his dialogue here. Please join us as we continue our study of the book of Job.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast, we see Job’s true self being drawn out. God has some things he wants Job to see about himself, and they aren’t very pretty. Join us as we look at how God is working in Job’s life through this trial.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we continue looking at Job 28. Job is searching for answers to the question-- where do we find wisdom? Join us as we look for the answers with him today.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we continue with Job’s dialogue. He is broken and he is in despair. Please join us as we look at his condition.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we continue with Job’s dialogue. He is broken and he is in despair. Please join us as we look at his condition.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we continue with Job’s dialogue. He is broken and he is in despair. Please join us as we look at his condition.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVCTo learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
In today’s broadcast we continue with Job’s dialogue. He is broken and he is in despair. Please join us as we look at his condition.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVCTo learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
In today’s broadcast we continue with Job’s dialogue. He is broken and he is in despair. Please join us as we look at his condition.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we continue with Job’s dialogue. He is broken and he is in despair. Please join us as we look at his condition.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we continue with Job’s dialogue. He is broken and he is in despair. Please join us as we look at his condition.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we continue with Job’s dialogue. He is broken and he is in despair. Please join us as we look at his condition.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we continue with Job’s dialogue. He is broken and he is in despair. Please join us as we look at his condition.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we continue with Job’s dialogue. He is broken and he is in despair. Please join us as we look at his condition.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we continue with Job’s dialogue. He is broken and he is in despair. Please join us as we look at his condition.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we look at Job’s dialogue back at his friends. He is not seeing his error and he is going to argue back. Join us as we take a look at what he has to say.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we find ourselves with another one of Job’s friends. Zophar has much to say to Job about his condition and the reason for it. We hope you join us to find out what his great wisdom is!Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we took a look at Job’s response to Bildad. We find Job complaining and bitter. We hope you will join us as we continue our study.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we look at Job’s response to Bildad. We find Job is angry with God and has some feelings he needs to express. Join us as we look at his response.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we begin looking at Bildad’s advice for Job. We turn to Job 8 to see how this plays out. We hope you will come and join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today, we see Job in utter misery. We hear his dialogue with God and his questions and feelings about what is going on as he tries to understand his suffering. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we see Job push back at Eliphaz and his accusations. We also find him at a very low point in his despair. Join us as we look at what is going on in the life of Job.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we continue looking at Job 5. We look at Eliphaz’s great wisdom for Job and find his view does not align with a biblical one. We hope you will join us! Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
We are introduced to one of Job’s friends as we look at Job 4. What wisdom does he have to bring to the table for Job and his situation? We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we find Job is angry. How will he handle his anger? Join us as we seek to answer these questions.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at Job 3. Job, having been sitting among the ashes, finally speaks. Join us as we listen to what he has to say.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at the second conversation in Job between God and Satan. We see Satan’s determination to buckle Job’s faith and prove him unfaithful to God. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast, we see Satan enact his plans upon Job. After getting hit with one bad news, then another, then another, how does Job respond? Is he in fact a “paid lover” of God? Join us to find out.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast, we see the challenge Satan presents to the LORD. The LORD, having already known Satan’s desires, is well-prepared for his challenge he has set before Him. Is Job? Join us as we continue our study.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we look at the meeting in heaven. We now get the start of the picture of Satan’s fixation on Job. Please join us and find out more!Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we begin in Job 1. We look at the kind of man Job is, his worth, and his children. Join us as we begin this study!Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we begin a new series. We are looking at the book of Job. We take a quick overview with a few main points today before we dig into chapter 1. We hope you will join us!Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we complete our series on Considering Jesus. We explore the final aspect of our eternity – what the eternal kingdom will be like. We hope you join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
We have seen the events set for the Final Judgment. Now we ask, what does the Lord have planned for His people for all eternity? Join us as we seek the answers!Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we look at the aftermath of Satan’s final attempt to conquer Christ. We move forward to the Final Judgement. We hope you will join us for this discussion.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we continue looking at the Eternal Kingdom. We see the beginning process of the setup as there is one more final attempt to conquer Christ. Join us to see the battle unfold.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we move forward as we consider Jesus to the Eternal Kingdom. We have looked at the gospel message starting with the incarnation, going through the life of Christ, going through the crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, the present ministry of Christ at the right hand of the Father, and the Rapture. We now come to the final pieces of the gospel message. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we turn to the book of Matthew. We pose the question: How should we live in light of the return of Christ? We hope you join us for the answer!Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we continue looking at the Second Coming of Christ. We turn to Revelation as we look at this very detailed Scripture of the Second Coming. It won’t be in the quiet and fragile form of His first coming. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look further at the Second Coming of Christ. We look at the Old Testament prophecies reiterated by Jesus Christ Himself as well as a prophecy from Zechariah. We hope you can join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we move forward from the incarnation and after having discussed the cross, the resurrection and the ascension, we turn to the Second Coming. We discuss the Rapture according to 1 Thessalonians 4. We hope you will join us!Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Merry Christmas! Today we read the Christmas story found in Matthew together and discuss a few significant points from the Scriptures. We hope you will join us!Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we finish our look at the Ascension of Jesus Christ and its importance to the gospel message. We also discuss a few other important aspects of Jesus Christ’s ministry in the heavens while He is separated from us right now and at the right hand of the Father. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we look more closely at the ministry of Jesus Christ as our High Priest. We look again at Hebrews for this picture and the incredibly important ministry Jesus Christ serves in. We hope you will join us today!Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we look to answer the question, why did Jesus sit at the right hand of the Father when He ascended into heaven? We’re looking at Hebrews today as we explore the High Priesthood of Jesus Christ. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we ask, why the Ascension? Why didn’t Jesus return to heaven immediately after the resurrection? Join us as we look at these questions together.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at another part of the gospel message. We look at the Ascension. Turning to Acts 1, we see the ascension of Jesus Christ. Join us as we learn more about it.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we look at Acts again and Peter as he is preaching to the people. The question is asked, “Brethren, what shall we do?” Join us as we look at the response. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we continue looking at the resurrection. We look at the doubts, and one specific doubter in particular. Please join us!Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we continue our look at the resurrection. We look at it from the perspective of proof. What proof is there in Scripture about the resurrection? We hope you join us!Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we look at the book of Acts. Here we find prophecy and fulfillment of the resurrection. But what did the resurrection do? Why is it soo central to our salvation? Join us and find out!Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we turn our attention to the resurrection. Many stories were made up by the people in attempts to explain away the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Join us as we look at the true story of what happened!Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at Romans as we continue looking at Jesus’ death on the cross. Not only do we see the need for His death on our behalf, but we see the fulfillment and the gift offered to us because of it. We hope you join us today.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at the significance of Jesus Christ having died in our place because of our sin. Why did Jesus go to the cross? Join us as we answer that question!Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at Christ’s death. Over the next several days we look at the questions of Why did Jesus bother? Why did He go to the cross? Why would He endure such things? We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at the cross. Who sent Christ to the cross? The answer may surprise you! We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we look at a new focus as we continue our series of Consider Jesus. We look at His death. In order to understand the significance of His death, we must define death. We hope you join us as we go over some background and definition for this important aspect as we consider Him.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
We will complete our look at Matthew 26 today. We see Jesus’ struggle with temptation and His response to temptation – going to the Father. We hope you will join us as we see this example applied to our own lives as we face the temptations of life.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we look at part one of the temptations Jesus faced in Matthew 26. We look at His time in the Garden of Gethsemane. We are shown, by Jesus Christ Himself, the steps to take in times of temptation. Please join us as we look at them together.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we see another temptation of Jesus Christ. We see this at the cross. Join us as we look at the sin, He could have given into but chose to remain sinless in order to be our Savior.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we see another side of Jesus Christ. We look at Luke 22 and the appreciation Jesus expresses to His disciples. Join us as we look at this side of Christ and how it relates to our lives.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at another temptation Jesus faced. We turn to the books of John and Mark for this occurrence. We find temptation can lie even in our safest place, the home. We hope you will join us as we see what Jesus faced and how he handled it.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we turn to 1 John 2. We find parallel temptations that we face that are similar to Jesus’ temptations by Satan in the wilderness. This again, helps us to see just who Christ is and what He has done for us and how He can truly sympathize with our struggles in this world. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we look at a third temptation made by Satan. It appears Satan is possibly unsure if Jesus Christ is actually the Lord. He leaves no doubts when He overcomes the temptations of Satan. We hope you join us today as we see Satan flee from Him.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we see a second temptation attempt made by Satan. This time we see Satan’s pride coming before his fall. We hope you will join us as we look at Jesus Christ’s response – the same response we ourselves should have in the face of temptation.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we see Satan enter with his first temptation to Jesus. We find Jesus in the wilderness, and we look at His response to Satan’s temptation. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we move on to the temptations that Jesus faced. We are told in Hebrews that He is our high priest and can sympathize with our temptations. Join us as we explore where we can find these temptations.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we finish up with the church of Laodicea. We see the final instruction from Jesus Christ as He shares the seventh thing that is most important to Him through the letters to the churches of Asia. We hope you can join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we see that Jesus has called out the issues for the church of Laodicea. He doesn’t just leave them at that; however, he tells them the prescription and the fix. Join us as we discuss what this church needs to do.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast, we look at Laodicea and what Jesus had to say to them. He gives them no commendation. We hope you join us as we look at why this church didn’t get any commendation from Jesus Christ.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we continue our look at the church of Philadelphia. This highly praised church is warned by Jesus about future trials to come, however, He doesn’t leave them alone to handle them. Join us as we see what’s important to Jesus in their lives and ours.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at the church of Philadelphia. We see the Lord doesn’t give any condemnation to the church but rather we see Him doing something we’ve not seen in any of the other churches. We hope you join us to find out more.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at Sardis. The Lord gives them five instructions to correct their course back to the true inward sincerity before Christ. We hope you will join us for this study.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we continue our look at Thyatira. We dive deeper into the warning against Jezebel and what that means for us. We hope you join us!Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at the church of Thyatira. Here we see another important message not just to the church of Thyatira, but to us by extension. We hope you will join us to find out what it is.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we continue looking at our church in Pergamum. Jesus makes it clear what is important to Him from this church, and by extension us. We hope you will join us to find out what is important to Him.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we continue working our way through Revelation 2. We come to the church of Pergamum, and we take a look at what Jesus had to say to that church. Please join us!Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast, we look at the church of Smyrna who is warned of an upcoming trial. We must ask ourselves; would I pass the test of my faith? Join us as we discuss this question and look at what Christ told the church of Smyrna.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we continue looking at Revelation 2. We expound on the three Rs and we ask what if we choose not to remember and not to repent and not return to what we had once done? We hope you join us as Revelation makes it very clear what our consequence shall be.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we ask, what happens if we look at our lives and realize that what Jesus accuses the church of Ephesus of – losing their first love – is applicable to my life, or church? What should I do? Join us as we look at Revelation 2:5 for the answer.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we continue looking at Revelation and begin our look at the letter to Ephesus. We see the Lord telling them that they have left their first love. What does that mean and have we, ourselves, left our first love as well? Join us as we find out!Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we begin our look at what was written to the first church in Revelation. The church of Ephesus we see is praised, but Jesus is not writing just to praise, He has more to say. We hope you will join us as we begin looking at the church of Ephesus.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we shift focus a little bit as we look at the church found in Revelation. We continue looking at the life of Christ, the person of Christ, and the messages of Christ. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we continue looking at the I am statements in Revelation. We see that Jesus Christ wants John to write these things down that he is seeing. We hope you will join us as we look further at Revelation.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we come to an awesome passage in Scripture in the book of Revelation. We see John describing Jesus Christ in all His glory and we hear Jesus proclaim another I am statement. We hope you join us as we look at his breath-taking passage.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at our I am statement in Revelation. We see the message Jesus Christ is sending to the churches, and by extension to us as well. We hope you join us as we look at this message together.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we continue our I am series. However, we leave the book of John and take a look at another writing by John, the book of Revelation. Join us as we see what I am statement is made in the final book of the Bible.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at John 15. There we find Jesus saying that He is, “the vine.” It’s hard to understand what that means without being someone who tends to vines. Join us as we help bring understanding to this I AM statement.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we are looking at John 14. Here we find the wonderful I AM statement of, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” What does He mean by the way, truth, and life? Please join us and find out!Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at John 11. Jesus says He is the resurrection and the life. What does that mean? Join us to find out!Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we continue our look at Jesus Christ as our good shepherd. As a good shepherd, He watches His flock and will even die for them. We hope you join us as we seek to understand the good shepherd and His willing sacrifice. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look to John 10 for another I AM statement. We see Jesus Christ is the good shepherd. In what capacity? To what extent? We hope you join us to discover the answers!Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at Jesus and the sheep. We see Jesus is the door to the sheepfold. What does that mean for us? Join us and find out!Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we expound on the statement I am the Light. We saw yesterday Jesus is the Light of the world. Today we look back at other chapters in the book of John that expound on Jesus being the Light. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at the second I AM statement. Looking over at John 8, we see Jesus is the Light of life. What does that mean? Join us to find out!Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at the first I AM statement. What did Jesus mean when He says He is the bread of life? We hope you will join us to find out!Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at a new direction as we continue to consider Jesus Christ. We look at the overview of the seven I AMs in Scripture. We hope you will join us as we continue considering Jesus.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we see another type from the Old Testament. Looking at the components in the tabernacle, we see Jesus Christ is the Light as John tells us. We hope you will join us for this study.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we continue our look at types from the Old Testament. Looking at Hebrews 4 we combine Jesus’ person and His actions with the High Priesthood of Christ as we look back at the Old Testament prefiguration. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at another type from the Old Testament. Looking at Hebrews 9 again, we take a closer look at the tabernacle and the activities within the Holy of Holies as it pertains to Jesus Christ. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at another type from the Old Testament. Looking at Exodus and 1 Corinthians we see the Passover and how it relates to Jesus Christ. We hope you join us for this study.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we continue our discussion of the typing of the tabernacle. We look at Hebrews 9 and finish our discussion on Jesus Christ and the tabernacle. We hope you will join us for it.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at another type from the Old Testament to the New Testament. We are looking at the tabernacle. I hope you will join us for this study!Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we discuss the priesthood. Jesus Christ is our great High Priest, but what does that mean? We hope you will join us to find out.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we discuss a second type found in Scripture. We look to Hebrews 10 and the sacrificial Law. We hope you join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we discuss the first type. We look to Romans 5 and the Second Adam. We hope you join us for this enlightening study.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we set up the foundation for the next few days of study. We will be discussing types as it pertains to the Old Testament and New Testament. We hope you will join us to understand what they are.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we look at a miracle performed by Jesus. We turn to Matthew 9 and see the paralytic. Join us as we discuss this miracle and the magnitude of what took place!Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at a different aspect of Jesus Christ. We look at His miracles. Why did He perform miracles? What is significant about them? We hope you join us as we answer these questions.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at two other attributes of Christ. We look at His omniscience and omnipotence. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we move forward from the titles of Jesus to his attributes. We look at immutability and omnipresence. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we continue our series Considering Jesus. We can better consider Jesus Christ when we consider and know His titles. We hope you join us as we do just that!Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at another name of Jesus Christ. The Son of God. What does this tell us about Jesus? We hope you will join us to find out!Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we discuss that Jesus Christ is the Logos. Do you know what that means? Please join us to find out!Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at the same two Scriptures but another part of who Jesus Christ is. We look at Jesus Christ being eternal and infinite. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at Jesus Christ, the Creator. Someone or something had to create all we see, including ourselves. Scripture is clear who created all that exists in the universe – Jesus Christ. We hope you join us as we look at John and Hebrews today.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we begin a new series. In this series we will be considering everything about Jesus. We hope you join us as this is sure to be an edifying series.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we take a final look at our attributes of God mini-series. We continue our look at faithfulness and how it is applied to our lives for the Lord. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we look at the attribute of faithfulness. The Lord is faithful to us and Scripture displays His faithfulness throughout. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we continue our look at love. We look at what the Scriptures says about us and how we apply this shared attribute that God grants us. We hope you join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we look at the love of God. 1 John shows us the greatest act of love ever displayed. We hope you will join us today.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we continue our discussion on the attribute of truth. We look at what this communicable attribute should look like in our lives, the life of a Christian. We hope you join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at a new attribute of God: truth. Understanding God’s truth gives us a greater understanding of God’s trustworthiness. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we look at the attribute of goodness again. We looked at how God shows goodness and today we look at how we are called to show goodness as well. Please join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we look at a new attribute of God. We look at God’s goodness. What a wonderful attribute this is of our God. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we continue looking at justice. We see today what that looks like in the life of a Christian. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we continue looking at communicable attributes. We focus on righteous judgment today. We hope you will join us as we look at this attribute of God.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at a final attribute of God for the week: holiness. We see the magnitude of God’s holiness in Isaiah and Revelation. We hope you will join us!Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at a new attribute of God: wisdom. We turn to Romans and James to learn about this communicable attribute. Please join us!Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at Isaiah 40. As we continue discussing God’s sovereignty, we see who God is through the inspired words of Isaiah. We hope you join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we continue our discussion on sovereignty. God is sovereign whether we appreciate it or we don't appreciated it. We hope you will join us to learn more.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we move on to our next attribute of God: sovereignty. Looking at both the Old Testament and the New Testament, we gain more understanding of our God. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we finish out the “omni” attributes of God. God is all powerful, Almighty. He is omnipotent. Join us as we discuss this amazing and comforting attribute of our Lord. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at the second “omni” attribute of God. God knows all things because He is omniscient. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we look at another attribute of God. We look at His immutability, or unchangeability. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we look at another attribute of God. We look at His immutability, or unchangeability. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at two of God’s attributes. Infinite and eternal are the two attributes we study today. Please join us. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast, we begin looking at God. We start with a bit of an overview of understanding God. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we begin a new series: All About God. We will spend this series discussing Scriptures as they lead us to understanding of who the true God is. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we continue looking at Psalm 96. We focus on further worship and glory to the Lord. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we begin our look at Psalm 96. This is another praise psalm. One of joyful music and worship. Join us as we look at what it says.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we are looking at Psalm 95. This is a praise psalm. Join us as we find out the reasons for praise.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we finish looking at Psalm 94. We see what the psalmist thinks of the Lord. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at Psalm 94. We see a psalm of lament as the psalmist cries out to the Lord. We hope you will join us as we study this psalm.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we continue looking at Psalm 92. We look at the older saint and the gladness that continues in the Lord. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we look at Psalm 92. We see the psalmist has found gladness in the Lord. We hope you will join us as we begin studying this psalm.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we finish our look at Psalm 91. We look at two means by which we can find security in the Lord. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we continue our look at Psalm 91. The Lord is our refuge and protector! We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we begin looking at Psalm 91. We look at the issues of security and security we can find in God.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we finish Psalm 90. We studied the first part of this psalm and the wrath of God and that He must deal justly with our sin. Today we see the hope found at the end of the psalm. We hope you will join us as we look at that hope that is ours.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we turn to Psalm 90. This psalm was written by Moses. We hope you join us as we begin part 1 of the study of this psalm.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at Psalm 85. This is a psalm of restoration. We hope you will join us for our short study of this psalm.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast, we follow-up Psalm 78 with New Testament Scripture. Here we see the reminder of heeding the warnings given in Psalm 78 and elsewhere as well as the promise of God to help us. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at Psalm 78, the second longest Psalm in the book of Psalms. We find the people of Israel need to be reminded of who they are and what God had done for them. We hope you will join us as we study this psalm together.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we complete our look at Psalm 62 to close out the week. David is urging others, you and I included, to trust in God. We hope you join us to find out why!Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at Psalm 62 and we see David has some problems with some circumstances and some people, and yet, his focus is on what? Join us as we discuss David and his focus. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we close out Psalm 55. We see the promises that those in the Lord will not be shaken. Join us as we look at the last part of this psalm.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at the solution to David’s problem in Psalm 55: prayer. We see our two options for response, and David shows us the right response. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we begin our look at Psalm 55. Here we see David struggling again. We will look at the three separate stages in this psalm: despair, prayer, and confidence. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we close out Psalm 51 answering questions. What does David want besides the restoration of the things he lost? What will his life look like going forward? Please join us and find out.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we continue our look at David in Psalm 51. Today he is modeling what needs to be done to restore our fellowship with the Lord after sin. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we look at the second step David takes to restore his relationship with the Lord, and we look at six different aspects of his life, and our own as well, that are disrupted or taken away by unrepentant sin. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look deeper into Psalm 51. What steps did David take to restore himself in his relationship with the Lord? We hope you join us and find out.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we begin our discussion of Psalm 51. This psalm is the psalm of David connected to the terrible time in his life following his sin with Bathsheba. We hope you will join us as we study Psalm 51.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we complete our look at Psalm 50. What’s the verdict for Israel, and by extension us? Please join us and find out.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Have you ever been in a courtroom? In Psalm 50 we find a courtroom with Israel on trial. Join us as we look at what this Psalm has to do with us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we finish our time in Psalm 49. We look at practical take-aways from this psalm. We hope you join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we continue in Psalm 49. Death. It’s not a topic many like to discuss. Just one important question though: Who is your Shepherd? Join us today as we discuss the reality of death and knowing your Shepherd as Psalm 49 reveals it.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we turn to Psalm 49. Is there anything money can’t buy? Please join us as this psalm gives us an answer to that question!Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we come to Psalm 47. This psalm is very different from previous ones we have studied as it is a praise psalm. We hope you will join us as we study this psalm of praise and worship.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we look at Psalm 46. This is a beloved psalm and it’s one that people have turned to many times over the centuries, especially in a time of trouble. We hope you join us as we look at what this psalm tells us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at Psalm 42. Here we can learn from the psalmist as we read the psalm and glean how he learns to trust the Lord in the dark just like he learned to trust the Lord in the light. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at Psalm 39. We find David to be very transparent with his troubles. We hope you will join us as we look at this psalm.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we look at Psalm 38. We see David somber and broken over sin. We hope you join us as we look at this psalm and what it means in our lives. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we continue looking at Psalm 37. We complete our look at Psalm 37 as the psalmist pulls us back to godly perspectives. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at Psalm 37. We look at how the psalmist is going to handle personal injustices. We hope you join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at Psalm 36:7-9. We will look at the psalmist’s descriptions and explanations of the glories of God. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at Psalm 36:5-6. Here we see the psalmist highlight five important attributes of God. We hope you join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we start looking at Psalm 36. We begin with looking at the life of the unbeliever. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we complete our look at Psalm 32. Psalm 32 has spoken to the hearts of God’s people throughout the ages. We hope you join us as we look at it one last time this week.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast, we continue looking at Psalm 32. We look at the joy found in forgiveness. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast, we look more closely at Psalm 32. We explore the first two verses and the blessings found for redeemed sinners. We hope you join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast, we turn to Psalm 32. Here we look at sin and what we are to do when we have sinned. We hope you will join us for this quick study.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
We look at Psalm 31 today. We examine as the troubled psalmist turns to God, recognizes who God really is, and then calls on God to move in his life. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we look at Psalm 27. We see David at a point of trouble yet again, and we note his response to getting through his times of despair. We hope you join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we finish our look at Psalm 16. We see David’s fourth response to trouble, and it is to look to the future. We hope you join us as we go through this part of Scripture.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Last time, we saw David turn his focus to the saints. Today we look at the third focus David takes – looking at who the Lord is for him personally. We hope you join us as we study Psalm 16:5-6 today.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we continue our look at Psalm 16. We found David showing us to first look to God and place our focus on the Lord. Join us as we look at the second focus of David.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we begin our look at Psalm 16. We see David and follow his example as he leads us through his response to trouble yet again. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast, we look at Psalm 13. Again, we find the Psalmist is in anguish. We hope you join us as we look at his response and turnaround through this Psalm.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast, we look at Psalm 11. We find the Psalmists’ life falling apart. We look at the three options he contemplates in his time of difficulty. We hope you join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at Psalm 8. We look at a contrasting Psalm as we go from the emotions of depression in Psalm 6 to the emotions of awe and thankfulness. We hope you join us as we look at this magnificent Psalm.View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at Psalm 6. This Psalm shows us a time of depression and sadness in David’s life and how he worked through those emotions and feelings. We hope you join us as we take our example from David.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at Psalm 5. We find David calling out to the Lord, Yahweh. Please join us as we look at why David is calling out and what he seeks from the Lord.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we complete Psalm 2. We look at God’s three responses to the rebellion of humanity. We hope you join us as we look at the Scriptures.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at Psalm 2:1-3. We look at the inborn rebellion within all of humanity. We hope you join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at the contrast to the blessed man. In Psalm 1 we are introduced to the two roads of life: the blessed and the wicked. We hope you join us as we look at the second road. The road of the wicked.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we continue looking more closely at the blessed man. We look at Psalm 1:3 and the four results identified for the blessed person. We hope you will join us today.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we begin a new series in the book of Psalms. We begin today in Psalm 1 as we look at the blessed man. We hope you join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we discuss the heart further. We discuss who controls the heart and what Proverbs says further on the matter of the heart. We hope you will join us. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we discuss the heart component of the will. Living a life of purity and holiness does not happen without effort. It is a result of the will. Proverbs is very clear on this matter. We hope you join us as we discuss this topic.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we discuss the heart component of emotion. Proverbs says a lot about the emotions of the heart. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
Today we discuss that the heart is composed of three components: intellect, emotion, will. We look at the intellect and what Proverbs tells us about the heart and intellect. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we begin looking at the heart, and what Proverbs says about the heart. Today, we discuss the heart in relation to marriage. We hope you will join us as we look at what Proverbs says about this topic.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at testing and temptation. Does the Lord cause sin? Why is temptation even allowed in the Christian life? How can we overcome temptation and sin? We hope you join us as we discuss these important questions according to Proverbs.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at the opposite of pride. We contrast pride with humility. What do the Proverbs say about humility and the humble? We hope you will join us to find out!Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we continue our look at the topic of pride. God makes it clear that pride is the result of sin. We are to hate the things God hates, and He hates sin. Join us as we discuss the manifestations of pride and how we expel it from our lives.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at the topic of pride. “Pride comes before the fall,” is a saying most of us have heard once or twice in our lives. Scripture is the origin of that saying. We hope you join us as we discuss this issue of pride.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at a new topic in Proverbs. We look at the topic of alcohol. Alcohol is very prominent in many cultures and is becoming more so in the Christian circles as well. While Scripture doesn’t prohibit alcohol, very strong warnings are given about its consumption. We hope you join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we finish our look at the fool. We cover the final characteristics as found in Proverbs, and we take a look at one last individual - the scoffer. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we continue looking at different types of people and their characteristics according to Proverbs. We focus on the first three characteristics of the fool today. We hope you join us as we discuss what not to be.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at a third group. We have looked at the wise and the wicked, and now we look at the naïve and their characteristics according to Proverbs. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we contrast the wise person by looking at the character of the wicked person. This is the person we are to steer clear of and certainly characteristics we are not to adopt ourselves. We hope you join us as we study this material.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we start a new direction in Proverbs looking at who we should and should not surround ourselves with. Today we look at the wise person and the characteristics of the people we should spend time with. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we see that with warning, the Lord also provides direction of how to avoid falling into temptations. We discuss the ways to avoid these temptations of immorality according to Proverbs. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast, we see the consequences of immorality. Further, we also discuss the destruction it can bring to the lives of those involved. We hope you will join us as we discuss this important topic. Please join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast, we see the Proverbs 7 woman and the young man facing the temptations of immorality. We see Solomon giving his son warning about the destruction that ensues with the sin of immorality. We hope you will join us as we discuss this further.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at the storyline of the young man being enticed by the Proverbs 7 woman. Solomon is sending a clear warning message to his son. We hope you join us as we study this.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we begin a new focus in Proverbs. We turn to chapters 5-7 and look at the focus Solomon takes on morality and immorality. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we complete our discussion of walking in the fear of the Lord. We discuss a few more of the results of walking and living in the fear of the Lord. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we continue looking at walking in the fear of the Lord. Now having an understanding of the definition, we look at: what are the results of doing so? We hope you join us as we answer this question!Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we answer the question: why do we fear the Lord? We have the right definition of fearing the Lord, we know the characteristics, now we need to know the why. We hope you join us today to find out!Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we continue looking at the fear of the God. We looked at the first aspect of fearing the Lord and today we look at two more characteristics of fearing the Lord. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we begin looking at a new topic. We are looking at the fear of the Lord. What does that phrase mean, “fear the Lord”? We will take a look as Proverbs tells us the meaning. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we take a final look at discipline. We look at the responses to discipline. There are two ways to respond – the right way and the wrong way and there are consequences to each. We hope you join us as we discuss what Proverbs says on this topic.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we continue looking at what Proverbs tells us about discipline. We focus today on the parent/child relationship as a result of discipline as well as the result of lack of discipline. We hope you will join us for this time together.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at discipline again. We look further at more direction that Proverbs gives parents in the discipline and guidance of their children. We hope you join us as we look at what the Proverbs say.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we look at the first part of discipline. Parents frequently struggle with disciplinary methods of their children. What is the right way? What is the wrong way? God speaks to these questions in Proverbs, and we hope you join us to hear what He has to say about this topic.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
In today’s broadcast we switch our focus from friendship to the topic of discipline. We begin in Proverbs 3 today. We hope you will join us.Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word. To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:Facebook: / southernviewchapel Instagram: / southernviewchapel Twitter: / official_svc To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: • The Gospel
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernviewchapel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernviewchapel/?hl=en
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojYakv2pc&t=0s
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video:
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video:
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video:
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video:
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video:
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video:
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video:
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video:
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video:
The "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" podcast is a ministry of Southern View Chapel. Southern View Chapel is an independent Bible church in Springfield, IL, committed to handling the Scriptures accurately through the exegetical teaching of God's Word.
To learn more about us, visit https://svchapel.org/ or follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernview...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernvie...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_SVC
To learn about our hope in Jesus Christ, watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PojY...
We will finish up today, both our series in the mysteries of Christ found in the New Testament, thirteen different mysteries, or secrets, unveiled to us through the Scriptures, and finish our series of the mysteries of the kingdom.
We have spent all week looking at Matthew 13 and the mysteries of the kingdom. As we do that today, we are looking at The Parable of the Tares and the Wheat, and we left off last time at Matthew 13:38 where we see that the seed that has been sown, in this particular parable, is the seed of the followers of Christ, the good seed, the sons of the kingdom. Then we see the sons of the evil one, the sons of the devil, false followers of the Lord being sown in the same field, same congregation, same group of people.
He continues in Matthew 13:39, “and the enemy who sowed them is the devil.” So, now we are looking at what is going on. We see the workers are the sons of the devil. These people are out there spreading a false message about the kingdom, Christ, Christianity, and the gospel. They have appearances of being the true followers of Christ and they are not. They are the sons of the evil one. We find that’s only to be expected because we find that the sower is the devil. So, Satan is counterfeiting everything that Jesus does. So, Jesus is putting out into the world His people, His followers, the sons of obedience, the sons of the kingdom, and Satan is putting out false followers of Christ who are actually followers of himself. We see that in Matthew 13:39 . . .
We are happy that you have joined us once again. We are looking at the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven found in Matthew 13. We have looked at what is probably the best known of the parables. There are seven of them there, but we have looked at the best known, Parable of the Sower. We are going to look at the second best known and the second largest, The Parable of the Wheat and Tares, in Matthew 13:20.
This is a very different picture that Jesus gives at this particular time. He is going to give another parable here and He starts with Matthew 13:24-30, “Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away. But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’ But, he said, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, ‘First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.’” This is a pretty well-known parable, but Jesus begins to explain the meaning in Matthew 13:37, and this is probably not what they were expecting because it is a little different than the one He had just given them. It has a different thrust.
In Matthew 13:36, we see His disciples and it says, “Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.” He says this in Matthew 13:37, “And He said, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man,” so this is different than the parable of the sower because the one sowing the seed is Christ Himself. While the first parable of the sower could have been Jesus, it could also have been anybody that is sowing the good news of the gospel. In this case here, this is Jesus Himself. This in particular is concerning the mystery of the kingdom that the people of Israel have rejected. So, He says, that the Son of Man is the sower, in Matthew 13:37. Secondly, in Matthew 13:38, it tells us that the field is the world, “and the field is the world.” So, it is talking about, apparently, the whole world. Not just the Jewish people, although that would be primary, but also all Gentiles. The whole world the seed can be sowed. Then He moves on to talk about the seed itself and He says, “and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one.” So now, we are not talking about the seed being the gospel or the truths, or the message of the kingdom, we are talking about people themselves. He says here that these are the sons of the kingdom . . .
Last time, in our series of our mysteries on the kingdom, we saw that the Lord would spread His word, His gospel, His good news among people. He likened those people to soils. Some soils, He talked about four different types of soils, some soils, in Matthew 13:19 for example, were unresponsive. They heard the gospel and it just bounced off them. They had no response in a positive way at all. The second group, in Matthew 13:20, seems to have, for just a moment, received the gospel very well and very quickly. They impulsively receive it, even with joy. They might get involved with the church for a short time or whatever, then their enthusiasm dries up and they are gone because Matthew 13:21 says they have no roots.
Let’s go one to the other two kinds of soil today. We have a distracted soil in Matthew 13:22, which says, “And the one on whom seed was among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the Word, and it becomes unfruitful. Here is a person that seems to have gone a little further with things, but it would appear they still did not receive the good news, the real message. Because although they heard it at first, the worries of this world, it says, the deceitfulness of wealth, and other things begin to choke out the Word. It becomes something they no longer respond to. They are distracted by the world. They are distracted by wealth. They are distracted by worry. They are distracted by various struggles, and it simply doesn’t go anywhere in their lives. So, although they have all the appearance, at first, of people who are following Christ, apparently, they do not.
There is a fourth kind of soil though. We are sure glad Jesus kept talking, because we now have in Matthew 13:23 this fruitful soil. He says, “And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.” We have a final soil. Notice there is nothing wrong with the message. The Word that goes out is the same message. There is nothing wrong with the messenger. This could be, in this case, the messenger could be Christ Himself as it is in the next parable, or it could be those that spread the good news of Christ’s Word and Christ’s gospel. Either way, what we have here is that there is nothing particularly wrong with the messenger, especially if it is Christ, and there is nothing wrong with the message. The issue is the place of the soils. The receptivity of the soils . . .
Last time we began the study of the mystery of the kingdom of heaven that Jesus said, in Matthew 13:11, He was going to explain to His disciples, and to us by the extension of the New Testament Scriptures. So, we go to Matthew 13. What are we talking about? If the kingdom of heaven has been postponed, so to speak, until the time that the Jews and the nation of Israel repents, and are ready to receive their King, which we find out in other revelation of Scriptures will take place at the second coming of Christ, we know that is going to happen, in the meanwhile, what do we have here? The kingdom was offered. It was rejected. It has been postponed. It has not been removed, it will come as promised, but not yet. It could have come at the coming of Jesus, but it did not. So, what is going on?
Jesus begins a series of parables. Seven different parables, in Matthew 13, that talk about life as it is now, and in this particular time which we now call the Church Age. Some people have called what Jesus is talking about here, Christendom, because it is not the church that He is talking about. The mystery of the kingdom is not the church, but it is something that the church is part of, and there is a mixture of that.
The first parable is the parable of the sower. That is the best known of the parables. In Matthew 13:2-9 it says, “And large crowds gathered to Him, so He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach. And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, ‘Behold, the sower went out to sow; and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. And others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.’” So, we begin with this parable in which Jesus is talking about the seed of the gospel. The seed of the kingdom, actually, was the message that was being given, as going out to recipients. Jesus now identifies those recipients as four different kinds of soil, and we see those, four different kind of soils, there that He mentions. So, rightly, the original audience heard this sermon and went away a bit perplexed. Who is he talking about, what do these soils mean, and how do they relate to us? They really didn’t know. So, that is why the apostles would come and say to Jesus, explain to us these things, and Jesus begins to do that later on in the chapter . . .
This week we are going to examine, for one more week, the mysteries of Christ as found in the New Testament. So, we have spent a few weeks on that, looking at these great mysteries, keeping in mind that a mystery is something that was hidden in the past, some kind of secret of God’s, that He has now chosen to reveal to us in His Scriptures. Of course, He revealed those, first, through His apostles-most of them through the apostle Paul, but not all of them. These mysteries are things that really help us understand something about life and the questions that people are asking, and we are asking. This week we are going to finish up by looking at one mystery, the mystery of the kingdom, found mostly in Matthew 13. We are going to unpack that for the next five days-looking at different aspects of that . . .
We’re looking at another mystery today. We’ve been looking at these for about three weeks now. These are mysteries of Christ found in the New Testament. We have looked at two so far this week, and we are looking at one more before we conclude these mysteries next week. Today, I want to look at Romans 16 with you looking at the mystery of salvation.
As we have examined the mysteries of Christ as found in the New Testament, we spent the last three days examining the mystery surrounding our resurrection. That when the Lord comes back for us, He changes us, He takes us to be with Him, and gives us a new and resurrected and glorified body and we will be in that body with the Lord forever. Those are wonderful truths.
We are going to back up now and look at another mystery that precedes that time. This is a mystery that has to do with our salvation. In Colossians 1:26 Paul talks about this, and remember that each of the mysteries is resolving a problem or question that humanity asks. Even that Christians ask . . .
If you have been with us in our study of the mysteries of Christ, as found in the New Testament, you know that in the last two broadcasts we have been looking at the mystery that has to do with the mystery of what we will be like after the resurrection. We will be resurrected to a new life. We will be resurrected with new bodies. We will be changed and so forth, and we are looking at that. We saw this mystery in 1 Corinthians 15, and we saw something about what our bodies will look like in eternity.
I am going to look at one more aspect of this mystery and that is found in 1 Thessalonians 4 in what we often call, the Rapture. I know in some of our other broadcasts we have looked at the Rapture. The word “rapture” simply means to be caught up, and it is found here in this text. The Latin word for caught up means “rapture”. That’s where we get our term. It’s the idea that we are going to be caught up to be with Christ. So, that is another aspect of this mystery of being changed.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 talks about it, it says, “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.” So, those who have already passed away don’t cease to exist. They are already with the Lord in their spiritual state right now, and when He returns, they will come back with Him.
1 Thessalonians 4:15, “For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.” Now we are going back to this mystery of the resurrection. We saw in the book of Daniel that the Old Testament saints were promised a resurrection from the dead, but it was kind of a general resurrection. In 1 Corinthians 15, we saw some more particulars about this mystery and the changing that will take place. Now we find here ,in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, that the dead in Christ will rise first from the grave. So, this is the promise of the believer, the New Testament believer, the church, resurrecting from the grave at this particular point in time. It says, “the dead in Christ will rise first”. So, those that have already passed away will rise first. Then he says, in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, “Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” I think every Christian has hoped they would be part of that group that would be here on earth, alive to greet Christ when He calls us to be with Him. So far, no group has managed to do that. Maybe we will be that group and we will be the ones who will greet Him when He calls us up, but if not, and if we have already passed away, we know we will be resurrected- even before those that are on the earth. We will be called up to the clouds to meet the Lord in the air . . .
We have been studying the mysteries that are found in the New Testament, the thirteen different mysteries that we can identify, the secrets that God has kept hidden from us in the past that have now been revealed to us in New Testament revelation. Yesterday, we began to talk about this mystery in the future, in which we are resurrected to a newness of life- eternal life. Our bodies will be changed, and we find that in 1 Corinthians 15.
What we want to do today is follow up on that same mystery. We are not going to introduce another mystery, but we want to get some more details about that. Which of us have not wondered what we will look like in heaven, and in our eternal state? Some people who are heavy want to think they will be skinny. Some people who are short think they will be tall. Some people that cannot sing, now, are hoping they are going to have this wonderful voice in heaven. We have imaginations like that and many others, but what do we really know about our eternal state? What will we be like?
The Bible doesn’t come right out and say that we are going to look like this or that, but what it does tell us- in 1 Corinthians 15, in more detail than anyplace else in the New Testamentis that our eternal state, our bodies in eternity, will have a definite connection with our bodies here, now. They will not be total re-creations or new creations. There will be a connection with our bodies here in this life, but there will be a radical change of those bodies. What we’ll exactly look like, what we will exactly do, if we will be able to have these gifts like singing or something else, we are not told those details . . .
We had been spending the last couple of weeks talking about the mysteries that are found in Scripture. Remember a mystery is basically a secret. Something that we would never know had God not revealed it to us. The mysteries that we find in the New Testament are exactly those. These are things hidden in the past that were unknowable to humans, or even to believers, prior to the revelation given to us in various places of the New Testament. There are at least thirteen mysteries, distinct mysteries, mentioned in the New Testament and we are working our way through those. We are going to look at three more of those mysteries this week and then a final one next week. I hope you will hang in there with us.
These mysteries tell us something about the issues of life. Things that you and I, and all of humanity, have questions about. The one we are looking at for the next two or three days will be the mystery that deals with our resurrection, and our body, and what we will be like after this life is over. Even those that do not know Christ, and even those that pretend to be atheists, sometimes have some kind of idea that there has got to be something more after this life . . .
We are grateful you take five minutes with us in your day to open the Scriptures and look at what the Lord has done for us. We are looking at the mysteries found in the New Testament. Today we are looking at another mystery. One that will take us to the end of the ages. We are looking at the mystery of the End Times . . .
We have been looking at the mysteries that are found in the New Testament. These mysteries reveal things to us that we never could figure out on our own. These are the secrets of God that He has revealed to us. We spent the last three broadcasts looking at the mystery of God’s wisdom, a very important mystery about life. Let’s move on to something very different today looking at Romans 11. We are looking at the mystery of the partial hardening of Israel.
Romans 11:25 says, “For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery – so that you will not be wise in your own estimation – that a partial hardening has happened in Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” Each of the mysteries unravel some piece of information, something we want to know and something we can’t figure out. The question is: What ever happened to Israel? If you are a reader of the Bible, you know that Israel plays a major part of the Scriptures, especially in the Old Testament. The Old Testament is Jewish literature, Jewish Scriptures, and it pertains almost exclusively, or at least wrapped around the Jewish people. We find all the way from Genesis 12, when God called out Abraham to form the Jewish nation, going right to the end of the Old Testament, that the Jews are front and center in all things.
In the gospels, that begins to change as we find that the Jewish nation. Of course, when Jesus came, He came to His own people and was born to a Jewish family. It says in John 1:11, “He came to His own, and those who were his own did not receive Him.” So, the Jewish people rejected Christ and the gospel witness. All four gospels show the consistent rejection, by the Jewish people, of Jesus Christ. So, that is where we leave the gospels and Jesus is ascended. In the book of Acts, we find a transitioning away from Israel to a large extent and more and more toward the Gentile nations. Paul becomes an apostle to the Gentiles, and the Gentile world begins to receive the gospel as most of the Jewish people begin to back off. The Epistles are mixed, we deal with Jews and Gentiles, but increasingly, the Gentiles begin to monopolize the church. They have more Gentiles saved than Jews . . .
We are looking at some of the mysteries of the New Testament. For the last two broadcasts we have been looking at one mystery found in 1 Corinthians 1 & 2 called the mystery of God’s wisdom. The mystery of God’s wisdom answers the questions: What is life about? How can we find it? The world searches for life. People have always looked for a reason to live and a purpose, but they can never really come to a correct conclusion because it is a mystery, a secret, hidden in Christ and can only be found through the means that God gives us. The first means, we have seen, is the entry point into this wisdom which is salvation. The second, is the revelation given to us in the Scriptures that is handed down through the inspired apostles and prophets of the New Testament . . .
If you joined us yesterday, you saw us open the book of 1 Corinthians 1 & 2 and begin to look at one of the mysteries that God has for us. We call it the mystery of God’s wisdom based upon 1 Corinthians 2:7. As we look at that specific passage of Scripture, we see that what we are looking at is people seeking to find life, and they cannot find life. Therefore, there is a mystery here. There is a secret, so to speak. There is a way to life and a way to live life that in and of ourselves we never unravel. We never figure it out. So, we have one of the mysteries of Scripture, the mystery of God’s wisdom. That began, as we saw yesterday, with the gospel itself. We saw the first part of that is that the entry point to understanding life begins with knowing Jesus Christ. That is the gospel, and we see that in 1 Corinthians 1:20- 24.
Last week we began our series on the mysteries found in Scripture - God’s mysteries for us. There are at least thirteen of these mysteries in the New Testament. These are things that God had to reveal to us because we would never figure them out on our own. So, there are thirteen different categories that we find concerning the mysteries of God. These are revelations of the Lord. You could call them secrets, in a sense, they are the secrets that have to be revealed to us by God in the New Testament revelation that tells us about certain things. The one we are looking at today is especially needed because it is the mystery of God’s wisdom as found in 1 Corinthians 2:6-8.
Thank you for joining us as we are looking at the mysteries that Christ has given us in His Word. The mysteries are the secrets of God that have been revealed to us. They answer the questions that people are asking. Things that are on their hearts and minds. In many instances, they are answering questions nobody is asking because nobody has come up that even knows enough to know what the questions are. That is especially true when it comes to the unbelievers in relationship to Christ. We have looked at three mysteries this week and we will close out this week by looking at one more mystery. This is often seen as the most predominant mystery in the epistles. It is the mystery concerning the church . . .
We continue looking at the mysteries that are found in Scripture. Each of these mysteries that are found in the Word of God are answer that God is giving us to the dilemmas, problems and questions people are asking. Each of these thirteen that we are looking at together shows us something of the secrets of how this universe works as God has put it into place, and then turns around and tells us how God is going to solve those problems. So, when we look at the mysteries together, we find great answers to questions. We find wonderful solutions and I trust that at the same time we are given great comfort as well. The mystery that we look at today is found in 1 Timothy 3:16 and that is the Mystery of Godliness.
1 Timothy 3:16 says, “By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, Was vindicated in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world, Taken up in glory.”
This was maybe an ancient creed, a New Testament creed. This has very credo-language. This is something that people may have recited at church. So, it is a common confession. This is a confession dealing with godliness. This has very credo-language. This is all about Christ, so whatever the mystery of godliness is it is wrapped around the person of Jesus Christ. He was the One that was incarnated - came in the flesh. He was vindicated by the Spirit. The Spirit said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased,” as He spoke for the Father. He was seen by angels, and He was proclaimed among the nations both at the time and now throughout the ages. He is believed on in the world by people from all nationalities, tribes, and tongues. Ultimately, He was taken up into glory at the Ascension. That is the mystery of godliness . . .
If you have been with us for the first two broadcasts concerning the mysteries of God, I hope you are excited about the ones we are going to look at in the future. We have seen that the mysteries of God are found throughout the New Testament. These secrets that God has revealed to us that we might know something of what He has planned for us. These mysteries answer the biggest questions that the world is asking, and it gives us, as Christians, the answers and comfort found in the Word of God. Last time, we looked at The Mystery of His Will as found in Ephesians 1. Today we are looking at The Mystery of Lawlessness.
We find this in 2 Thessalonians 2. The context of this chapter is in the end times. We are looking at a period of time in which the antichrist has now stepped onto the scene, and he is proclaiming himself to be God. He wants to be worshipped. He has deceived the world, so much so, that the world has turned against God and totally against Christ and we are seeing the ultimate end of the antichrist in this passage. Paul assures us in 2 Thessalonians 2:7 that what is now coming about at the end times in reference to the antichrist is not altogether new, it is just different in intensity, because he says, “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.” That is to say that this mystery of lawlessness has always been permeating humanity since the fall of Adam and Eve, and at the end of 2 Thessalonians 2:7 it says, “only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.” . . .
We are looking at the mysteries of God as found in the Scriptures. We began our study yesterday explaining that these mysteries are things found in the New Testament that reveal the secrets of God. God has secrets. There are things we do not know and things we cannot know. The only way we can understand these things is that God reveals them to us. The New Testament talks about some of these kinds of secrets. These mysteries that have been revealed for us. There are at least thirteen of those in the New Testament.
The first one is found in Ephesians 1:9-10 and it is called, The Mystery of His Will. We will look at those verses together. Ephesians 1:9-10 says, “He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him” . . .
Today we begin a new study that will be a bit shorter on The Mysteries of God. Many years ago, I heard a sermon at a conference I attended where the pastor did an excellent job of explaining how the mysteries, as found in Scripture, unfold for us the secrets of God and also answers the questions that the whole world is asking. Questions that they have looked for solutions to but are unable to find answers. He showed them how each of the mysteries of God, that are in essence the secrets of God, have been revealed and actually unfold and answer those questions that people ask. Not only questions unbelievers ask, but Christians as well. As he talked about that and spoke about some of those mysteries, I was fascinated with that.
I, of course, knew about the mysteries in Scripture. There are twenty-seven times in the New Testament that the word “mystery” is found. Put together, they unfold thirteen different mysteries as found in Scripture. I knew about that and I have studied some of those in an isolated fashion as they came up in studies I was doing, but I have never thought about unraveling the mysteries in the way that this preacher did. So, since that time, I have often gone back and thought about that and looked at that and preached these principles at times. So, I want to do that with us on this Wonderful Day in the Lord broadcast. I want to look at these thirteen mysteries. I want to look at them one-by-one and see what God has for us.
Let us start with the fact that a “mystery” is a secret of God that has now been revealed to us in His Word. There is no way we would ever determine these answers to these mysteries had they not been revealed to us. The good news is, although these things are hidden from those who do not know God’s Word or know Christ, they are not hidden from those who do know Him. Similarly, to the parables that Jesus spoke telling His disciples that these things are hidden from the blind but revealed to the disciples, so too the other mysteries of Scripture are revealed to us who know His Word and believe in Christ. So, that is what a “mystery” is and that is what we are going to look at together.
In 1 Corinthians 4:1 it says, “Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.” Paul is talking about himself, and perhaps some of the other apostles, but by extension, at least, we too have the privilege of being stewards of the mysteries of God. Not simply servants of Christ, but stewards of the mysteries. Paul had been given direct revelation concerning these mysteries and that is what he unpacked for us in the epistles - explaining these things to us. We do not have that type of insight or revelation, but because we have the inspired Word of God, we can go back and look at those mysteries ourselves and proclaim them. We can grasp them, apply them to our own lives, proclaim them to the church and to any unbeliever who would bother to listen. So, we have these secrets . . .
For many weeks now we have been looking at our riches in Christ during our Wonderful Day in the Lord broadcast. This is our position in Christ. These are the things that all Christians have been given and we can glory in these things. These are not normally things that the Lord tells us that we have to do, but these are things that He has done for us. So, we have been looking at one after the other, thirty some of these. Today is going to be our final one and it is one of the great ones. It is one of the ones that we rejoice in so much and that is: the love of Christ. We have His love.
We start today with a command in the gospel of John and then later in the epistle 1 John. In John 13:34-35 says this, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” I just got through saying that we have been looking at the things the Lord has done for us, and we will look more closely at that in a moment. We start with this. He is giving a new command to His apostles that they love one another as He has loved them. To love one another is not a new command. We find that in the Old Testament. We find it throughout Scripture, but Jesus said there is something new about this command that I am giving you. That is that you love one another as I have loved you. That is the newness of this command, I think. No one has ever loved like Jesus has loved. He came to this earth because He loved us. He died for people that hated Him. He saved us when we were still His enemies. No one has ever loved like Jesus. He is the epitome, the perfect example of love. He is saying to His disciples that He has loved them this way and that is our privilege, that is our treasure that we are looking at today. He has loved us with a pure and perfect love. He then sends us out to duplicate that love in others. Obviously knowing that none of us can reach that standard. None of us will ever love others like He loved us, but nevertheless, that is our standard and He has called us to love one another in that way . . .
We thank you for joining us again today. We are looking at some of the great treasures and riches that are ours in Christ. Last time we looked at fellowship in 1 John 1. I am going to look at 1 John again and look at something else today. Fellowship is there, and so is joy. That is our richness today: joy. One of our privileges is to have joy in Christ.
1 John 1:3-4 says, “what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.” Not only do we have this fellowship with God, with Christ, and with one another that we saw last time, but he also says that as we have this fellowship, as we live this way, John says that our joy will be made complete. Now, this passage, in all reality, could be translated one of two ways.
John could be saying that his own personal joy is complete because of the way these people are living their lives and the fellowship he can have with them, or he could also be saying that our joy, our personal joy, is made complete because of our fellowship with Christ and walking and living in the Light. Either way we go there, it is pretty good stuff. We can have joy in Him. So, joy is one of those privileges and riches we have in Christ.
When we think of joy we often think of Philippians as the book of joy. The words joy and rejoicing are found numerous times in Philippians. I want to look at a few verses and see where joy can be found. We must distinguish at this point between joy and what most people would consider happiness. Happiness is more of an external thing. It is something we have when the circumstances are all lined up just right, when good things are happening, and we have this happy spirit. Joy is a deeper, more intense thing that can be with us even in times of trial, sorrow, heartache, and grief because there is an intense settled position of joy within us as Christians. So, it is not so much an outward exuberance or emotion, it is a settled position in Christ. So, as Christians, no matter what our situation in life, we can know joy. Paul writes this particular book from a prison. So, his circumstances are not the best and he talks often about joy and the need for joy . . .
Once again, we are looking at several gifts and privileges and riches that the Lord has given us as Christians. One of those that is just so precious to us is fellowship. Fellowship with God and fellowship with those who are part of God’s family as well. 1 John 1 talks about that fellowship. It says in 1 John 1:3, “what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed, our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.” We look here at the fellowship. First, fellowship means communion. So, we have this communion, this commonness. First, we have fellowship with God because we are in His family because we are saved by His grace, as we saw last time. We have communion and are coupled with Him. We are one with Him in that spiritual sense. So, we have true fellowship with Him. Koinonia is the Greek word for fellowship. Because we have that kind of fellowship with Him, we have that kind of fellowship with those that belong to Him. So, John is saying that we have fellowship with each other because we have fellowship with Christ. Our commonness is found and centered around Christ. We come together around Jesus Christ. That is what we have in common. So, we fellowship because we know Christ as our Savior with others who know Christ as their Savior.
In 1 John 1:5 it speaks of this fellowship, this commonness, with Christ as producing something in our lives. It is not simply a legal document. It is not just something that is true, it is something that brings about a change of life. So, John immediately starts talking about that in 1 John 1:5, “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.” First, he describes God as Light. No darkness. He is using these metaphors, pictures, concerning the fact that the Lord is pure. He is without sin and there is no evilness, and no sinfulness in Him. So, that is God.
In 1 John 1:6 it says, “If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” Notice that terminology of “if we say,” he uses that term several times early on in his book. He is calling out some people here perhaps who are making proclamation that they are Christians. People that say they belong to God and have a fellowship with Christ, but their life does not witness to that. It does not demonstrate that because they are actually walking in darkness. They claim they are in fellowship with the One who is Light and therefore they have that commonness with Him, yet their life does not evidence that and instead they are walking in darkness. He says that cannot be true . . .
Thank you for joining us today in our Wonderful Day in the Lord broadcast. If you were with us last time, we were looking at another one of our rich treasures that God has given us as believers: His Word. We would not know anything about God or life or eternity or so many things if it wasn’t for the precious Word of God that has been given to us.
I am going to look at another gift today. Another richness that we have in Christ: grace.
We talk a lot about grace today. The most popular Christian song in the world right now is “Amazing Grace.” It is not always popular for the right reasons. A lot of unbelievers sing it. It has a beautiful terminology and tune, but a lot of people sing it because what they want is grace, even amid their sins, even if they don’t want to turn to Christ, they would love to have grace. Sometimes it is abused, but we find that the Scriptures are simply filled with grace and that without grace you and I are hopelessly and eternally lost in our sins. There is nothing we can do to earn salvation, or to merit the gifts of God. Those are given to us as free gifts from Him. So, grace is a precious, precious gift that God has given to us. There is probably no Scripture better known regarding grace than Ephesians 2:8-9.
Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works so that no one may boast.” This encapsulates the message of the gospel as far as the reception is concerned. He has spoken earlier about what the gospel message is: that Jesus Christ has died for our sins, He resurrected in power and ascended into heaven and that He calls us to Himself to receive His gift of salvation by faith alone. That is what Paul is talking about now, the reception of the good news, the reception of the gospel. So, it has been given to us, it says here, by grace. It is received by us totally by faith. We don’t do anything to earn it, we reach out and take it because it is a gift from God. That is why He follows up that word grace with the word gift. It is a very similar terminology. It is the same basic idea, but the redundancy is helpful because the grace that saves us comes from a gift that comes from God Himself. He follows that up by clearly saying that it is not of works so that no one may boast. I’m glad he threw that in there because it makes it crystal clear that there is nothing that we do to earn the grace of God or that we can earn the free gift of salvation. It is given to us totally by grace . . .
For several weeks we have been looking at the wonderful riches we have in Christ, and we have gone through well over thirty of them so far. I want to look at five more this week as we kind of wrap all of this up. If you were asked what you consider to be some of the greatest gifts that the Lord has ever given you beyond your salvation, what would you pinpoint?
One of those would probably be the Scriptures. As we think about what we have in our hands and what we can read. The teaching that is there. The instruction about God. The understanding we can have about the Christian life are all found in the infallible and inspired Word of God. It is a great gift and treasure.
When we come to the book of 2 Timothy, Paul is writing his final letter to anyone. He is writing this to his friend, and the one to whom he has served many years as a leader and mentor, Timothy.
As he writes to him in 2 Timothy, he talks about a great treasure. 2 Timothy 1:13- 14 says, “Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.” We look at the word “treasure” and we see that he has given him a treasure. What is that treasure that is his? It could be the gospel. It could be salvation, and Paul has been talking about that, but in the immediate context, at least part of it must be the Word of God.
In 2 Timothy 1:13 Paul says to, “Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me.” These sound “Words” would be the inspired teachings that Paul was handing down to Timothy and others and that found their way ultimately in the Scriptures. As he says that to Timothy there seems to be a concern that Timothy was not holding as tenaciously as he should to the sound words that were being handed down. So, he tells him to hold to that and he also tells him to guard it because the Scriptures are always under attack from the outside, and sometimes from the inside. So, if Satan can undermine the truth of God’s Word, and the thinking of people, then he has won a great victory. So, Paul tells Timothy he needs to guard that treasure that has been handed down . . .
I hope you have been enjoying our time together this week as we look at our security in Christ, the great blessing that is ours in Him. We have been focusing on Romans 8 as we have looked at this passage that unpacks all of this in a very comprehensive way. We have worked our way through to the last two verses of Romans 8. We will finish off here because Paul finishes off there as well. As he does so, he has already talked about all these various ways in which we are secure in Christ. Now, nothing can separate us from the love of God. We overwhelmingly conquer, through the love of Christ. The Lord has come and delivered us from sin. No one can condemn us because God is judge and Christ has come to take our sin. All of these things are there.
Now, I guess the invisible antagonist that Paul has been dealing with is trying to find some loophole in this argument. In Romans 8:38-39, I like to say, Paul pulls out all the stops. Remember the old pipe organs? They had all these stops. Dozens of them. If you pulled out all the stops these organs could almost blow off the roof. That is what Paul is doing here. He is pulling out all the stops and kind of blowing the roof off. He comes up with every conceivable concept and enemy or antagonist that could possibly separate us from the love of Christ and basically says, no it can’t. Romans 8:38-39 says, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Paul has already talked about a number of potential antagonists back in Romans 8:35. He comes up with more this time. He talks about death. Can death separate us? Can life? Can angels? Now we are moving to spirit beings. Probably here speaking of demonic angels, but even if these are good angels the next ones are not, and he speaks of rulers and so forth. I believe he is speaking of demonic creatures when he says angels. Could the devil come along and rob us of our salvation? No, not according to Paul. The term powers almost always in this context refers to demonic creatures. If the demonic creatures can’t do it, what else? This is where Paul throws the kitchen sink at it. Nothing ever created will be able to separate us from the love of God, he says. Nothing ever created. So, what is it that could separate us from the love of Christ if you already know Him as your Savior? What could that possibly be? Nothing ever created could do that. The argument I have heard most frequently against this view is that none of these things can separate me from the love of Christ, not the demons or the angels, nothing, but maybe I can separate myself.
’m glad you could join us again today. We are spending this whole week looking at one of the great treasures we have in Christ and that is our security in Him. Wouldn’t it be at tragedy if somehow, we could come to Christ and be redeemed and justified by Him and given all the promises that we have looked at over the last several weeks and then somehow lose it all and lose our place and position in Christ? That would be the greatest tragedy of all tragedies.
In Romans 8 Paul is building an airtight argument saying that that cannot happen to the child of God and that nothing can separate us from His love or rob us of our salvation.
We have looked at Romans 8:28-29 and found that we, as His children, have all things working together for our good. That good being that we be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. He has called us, justified us, and glorified us in Romans 8:30. We also know that no one can bring a condemnation against the elect of God as Paul tells in Romans 8:34 asking who can condemn us? No one can condemn us! We are now looking at Romans 8:35, “Who will separate us from the love of Christ?” There’s the big issue. Can someone or something separate us from the love of Christ? Here we have His love, and we are His, and He is working all things according to His will for our good, but can something come along and separate us from that love? He begins to talk about the possibilities and the possible enemies that could come along and separate us. He continues in Romans 8:35 saying, “Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” Notice, before we read the next verse, that Paul is talking about all sorts of possible struggles, turmoil, and difficulties in life. The most terrible things you can think of, can they separate us from the love of Christ? . . .
This week we are looking at one of the great treasures that is ours in Christ and that is that we are secure in Him. We are eternally secure. Nothing can shake us from the love of Christ. Those are wonderful things to consider.
Paul is building here one of the most comprehensive arguments found in the Scriptures to show us our security. We have already looked at two different sections in Romans 8:28-29 that He is working all things together for our good and our good is conformity to Christ. Then we have seen in Romans 8:30-31 that those He has predestined, he has called, and those he has called he has justified and those that he has justified he has glorified. Those are staked on the fact that the Lord has already given us the greatest of all possible gifts, that is His Son, so, why would He not give us everything? He has given us the Son, why not continue to give us the life that is found in the Son. This is Paul’s argument: because God has given the Son, He will definitely give us the life.
Now we move on where Paul still seems to be arguing with an invisible antagonist here who is questioning what Paul might be teaching and may be asking, what if you are saved now but you mess up badly or something shakes your faith, and you lose your salvation? So, Paul continues his argument against this antagonist in Romans 8:33 which says, “Who will bring a charge against God’s elect?” Now he has this idea of someone making a charge, or maybe in a courtroom scene. So, we are on trial here and someone comes forth and brings a charge against us. Basically, the charge is this: this person does not deserve eternal life. This person is not one that God should keep for His own. There has been a legal charge brought against us.
Romans 8:33 continues, “God is the one who justifies.” On the bench is God. God is not one who is going to be deceived by a very deceptive and well-scheming prosecutor or lawyer. He is not shaken by great arguments. He justifies. His justice is always right. Throughout the Scriptures one of the great teachings, we find throughout the whole Bible is that our Lord is no respecter of persons, His judgment is always right, He never takes anything from some other viewpoint that is not right. He knows what is right and He justifies. God is the One that justifies, so don’t get worried about what somebody else might say . . .
Last time we looked at Romans 8:28-29 and we saw that the Lord is working all things together for our good. The good that He identifies in Romans 8:29 is to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. God is working all these things in our lives in order that we might mature in our spiritual development so that we might become more like His Son. He has mentioned in Romans 8:29 the word “predestined” which scares a lot of people. It really shouldn’t. If we believe in a Sovereign God, we realize He is in charge of all things. It says that He has predestined us to be conformed to the image of His Son. Then in Romans 8:30 we pick that back up and it goes on to talk more about our security in Christ.
Romans 8:30 says, “and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.” So, the predestined whom He has called to himself are also justified. Notice that there is no break here. Everyone who has been predestined has been justified. Now theologically, that means we have been made righteous, our sins have been forgiven and we have been given the righteousness of God and now we are in favor with God. It is a legal term speaking of our standing with God. All those whom He has called have been justified. There is no break. Those whom He justified He also glorified, no break. So, if we have been justified by Christ, then we will also be glorified with Him. This is even speaking as if it is a done deal, so even though this glorification, our ultimate glorification, will be in eternity when we go to be with the Lord, He speaks of it as if it is already a done deal. He has predestined these people, He called them, He justified them, and He glorified them. These people are His people, and nothing breaks that chain. Some have called this the Golden Chain of Redemption because here we have this chain of redemption. So, we know that if we have been set aside by Him and called and justified, then we will be glorified! There is nothing that can take that away. He is going to develop that argument more fully, but we have been taken this far right now . . .
As we begin a new week in our Wonderful Day in the Lord broadcast, we are going to be focusing our attention, as we have been doing for weeks, on the riches that are ours in Christ. We have pinpointed and identified numerous blessings, riches, and treasures that are ours in Christ. These things are meant to encourage and strengthen us and help us understand who we are in Christ and our position in Him and His provisions for us. I trust you have been gaining some insight and encouragement from these discussions. I am turning our attention today to the issue of our security in Christ. That is not just a minor thing. As a pastor these questions come up regularly among people. How do I know for sure that I am secure in Christ? How do I know that even if I am a Christian now, I will not lose my salvation somewhere down the line or that I won’t do some sinful behavior that would cause me to lose my salvation or that I might come under the attack of the devil that might shake my faith? How do I know that I will persevere to the end and if I am a Christian now that I will ultimately be with the Lord in glory? A lot of Christians struggle deeply with their spiritual development because they have not resolved these questions.
I’d like to focus our attention on Romans 8 this week. I think this is one of the key passages, one of the most important passages in all the Bible on this particular subject because we are not looking at some proof texts here or there, but we are looking at a section that is actually dealing with that subject plus it is capsulizing all that is being said in the book of Romans, in many ways, all the way back to Romans 5 which has been dealing to some degree with this issue of our position in Christ, our salvation and now the security of our salvation . . .
Thank you again for joining us as we complete this week of looking at the blessings that are ours in Christ. Today we are looking at the treasure of having peace with God.
Romans 5 is a wonderful passage on this subject. It talks about our peace with Him. It says in Romans 5:1, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” This verse is very full, isn’t it? First it talks about us being justified. We have been made righteous by the Lord Jesus Christ. We have now been set free from sin in the sense that we have been forgiven. We have been given the righteousness of Christ and that has happened by faith. It is not a work that we have done or something we have earned or something we have merited, but by faith we have received this gift of righteousness and therefore we are justified. Then it says because of that we have peace with God.
In the New Testament we find that we have the peace of God and the peace with God. The peace of God is represented in Philippians 4:6-7 which says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Here it tells us to be anxious for nothing but by prayer and supplication and so forth we can have the peace of God. In any given circumstance, between people or within our own souls, there are times when we need peace. We need peace with people and peace within ourselves. That peace of God is available when we turn our anxieties over to Him in prayer and trust and believe in Him in that way. That is the peace of God.
This passage in Romans 5 is not talking about that kind of peace. It says we have peace with God and that is different. The passage is teaching that we are at war with God. We are born His enemy and we are born against Him. Our great need is reconciliation, to be made friends of God and have peace with Him. It says here that we can have peace with God, but only through our Lord Jesus Christ. So, the barrier is broken down between us and God because of Jesus Christ. It is through Jesus Christ that the enmity between us and Him is gone. We were at war and now we can have peace. It says, “we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” . . .
As we continue our march through the blessings and the riches and treasures that are ours in Christ, we come to John 8, and we are looking at the fact that we are free. We have looked at freedom before. We are free from the power of sin. We are free from the law. We are free from the penalty of sin, and so we have a lot of freedoms that are found in Jesus Christ. We are going to look at one that is also a freedom, but a little bit different freedom.
In John 8:31 it says, “So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, ‘If you continue in my word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’” This passage is talking about those who are listening to Jesus and believing His message. He is making it clear who His true followers are. It is not those who mouth some words saying they believe and are going to go about their way. He was saying that if they remain in His Word and live it out and embrace it then they are truly His disciples, or followers. We can tell we are disciples of Christ by how we handle the Word of God, and whether we believe it and try to live it. Obviously, none of us live it perfectly, but we are truly followers in Jesus.
Then He continues saying, “and you will know the truth and the truth will make you free.” This is the freedom we are going to focus on for a moment. We have a freedom that is based upon truth. This truth that He is talking about must go back to probably two different things. First is the gospel. How is it that we become a true follower of Christ by understanding what Jesus has done for us on the cross? Only by knowing that truth and receiving the gospel and believing in Christ can we be set free from the penalty and the power of sin, and we are set free to follow Him. We know that truth. We have believed in and embraced that truth, and we are set free to become the children of God . . .
We are going to look at a wonderful blessing the Lord has given us today that you might again not think this would be necessarily a blessing or a privilege. It is a privilege of not being under the control of the devil. Satan no longer need control us or be in charge of our lives. We can have power and victory over Satan himself. We begin with 1 Peter 5:8 which says, “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith.” We know first from this passage that the devil wants to trip us up and destroy us. I think he is more interested in destroying the believer than the unbeliever because, after all, he already has the unbeliever in his camp, and he is already taking that unbeliever in the direction of hell. He wants to keep the unbeliever from seeing the greatness of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 4 tells us that he blinds the eyes of the unbeliever that they might not see the glory of Jesus Christ. So, he is actively involved in that. For the believer he is going about seeking someone to devour. He wants to trip up the Christian and destroy their lives. He wants to keep them from being fruitful and effective for the Lord. Peter says that we are to resist him. How do we fight the devil? We are to resist him.
Another passage gives us a little more on that in James 4:7 which says, “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” There he goes a little further. Peter tells us to resist the devil and that is a good thing, but now James says that if you do so he will flee from you. How do we combat the power of the devil? We do so by resisting him in such a way that he basically gives up and he flees. He cannot stand before you and therefore he runs from you. So, the Scripture never talks to us in the epistles and New Testament church about doing some kind of demonic warfare, it tells us to resist the devil and he will flee from you. That is the power the Lord gives you as the Holy Spirit is within you, as He strengthens you . . .
We thank you that you would take the time to join us once again in our Wonderful Day in the Lord broadcast. We continue to look at the riches and privileges and blessings we have in our lives because we are Christ’s. Today we look at a couple that go together that we would not think of ordinarily. They are found in the book of Matthew at the end part of the Beatitudes. They are found in Matthew 5:13-16. Jesus is preaching perhaps the greatest sermon ever preached, the Sermon on the Mount, and He has already gone through the Beatitudes, “the blessed,” that have occupied so much of people’s attention and time, and they are beautiful and wonderful. Then He begins to top it off by going to verses 13-16 and talks about the fact that we are both salt and light in this world. That is the privilege that is ours: we are salt and light.
Starting with salt, in Matthew 5:13 it says, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” Jesus is talking to His disciples here and by extension us, and He starts out by telling us that we are the salt of the earth. So, we have to consider, and people have been talking about this forever, what exactly does He mean? What does salt do that Jesus is pointing to? Most people come up with one of two things: salt flavors and salt preserves. Both are very important. If you have ever eaten food that has no salt, you know the value of having salted meat and food. It is for taste. It gives it flavor. So, the believer brings to this world the flavor of God. The world gets to taste something of what God can do in a life because we are His. Not the full extent of what He wants to do or the perfection that will ultimately be, but the world gets to taste something of what God is doing in life through the salt that we are in this world.
On the other hand, it also preserves, so there is a very real extent in which the fact that there are believers all over the globe is a preservation of the humanity in this world, on the good side. Without the salt of the believer spread throughout all the planet, the world would be totally made-up of unbelievers. If you want to know what that looks like, read Revelation 6-19 where we see virtually everyone in that section are unbelievers and as a result of that there is very little salt on the earth at that time. When the Spirit has been removed and the believer has been removed, people will resort to what they are. So, we are able to slow that down until such time as the Lord desires . . .
We are going to spend another week together going through the riches of Christ. It has been such a joy going through the many ways Christ has gifted and blessed us and we are going to look at five more this week. Romans 8 tells us that we are the heirs of God. We are going to look at that blessing today.
First, when it talks about us being His children, it says in Romans 8:14, “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” When it says that we are being led by the Spirit of God, it doesn’t mean some mystical feeling in which the Lord leads us. He is speaking in the context of Romans 6, 7, & 8, that the Holy Spirit leads us into godliness, sanctification, and living for the Lord. If the Holy Spirit is leading us, we know that by the direction that God is taking us in our lives to become more and more like Him. If the Holy Spirit is leading us, then we have the evidence here that we are the sons of God, the children of God. That is a great blessing in and of itself, but we have already looked at that one previously.
In Romans 8:15 it says, “For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’” There are a couple of things here that are very insightful. First, the new spirit that we have now, that which the way the Holy Spirit leads us, doesn’t lead us into slavery again. Most likely he is speaking here of the law. The law was righteous and good and perfect, but it bound us in the sense that it put a straight jacket on the lives of people, and they could not keep the law as the law was given. We are not given that kind of spirit however, instead we are given a spirit not of fear or slavery, but the spirit of adoption. So, we have the adoption. We have already discussed that blessing. The idea then, is that we have been brought into the family of God. He has chosen us to be His. We are adopted into that family, so much so, that we cry out “Abba! Father!” Many of you probably know that this is a term for father. A term of endearment. A child would call his father “Papa” or “Abba”. It would be a child-like calling out to a father that a child loves and the father loves and adores that child as well. When we have this kind of spirt as the adopted sons of God, we not only have a legal situation in which we are legally, rightly the sons of God on paper, but we also have a relationship with Almighty God of such a nature that it is emotional, enjoyable, family-oriented, and we can call out to Him as our father . . .
We have been talking about a number of positions we have in Christ, and these great gifts that the Lord has given us. Those positions have included dying to sin, being made alive to Him, being the prisoner of the Lord, and being the slave of the Lord. We are switching directions just a little bit today. We are going to talk about the fact that we have been gifted by the Lord to serve Him. That is something some Christians struggle with. They don’t realize that they are gifted. They don’t understand where they fit in with the body of Christ and they don’t know how to come alongside to minister, and often have a hard time coming along doing that. In four different New Testament books we find that we have been gifted by the Holy Spirit for ministry to other people. We find those particular passages in: Romans 12, Ephesians 4, 1 Peter 4, and 1 Corinthians 12-14. All those passages deal with the fact that we have been gifted.
What we have in Romans 12 is a summary of these. I think it would be helpful for us to look at these gifts. It says in Romans 12:3, “For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he out to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.” He starts off by calling us to humility. Don’t think of yourself as higher than you ought to think. In our world, people are concerned about bad selfimages. Scripture never is concerned about that, instead Scripture is always talking about pride and arrogance. So, he tells us to first humble ourselves before the Lord and not think more highly of ourselves than we should.
Romans 12:4 says, “For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” He is talking about the body of Christ. There are many parts of the body of Christ. As many Christians as there are around, they are part of that body. If we are talking about a local church, which I believe he is because only in a local church can we really function in this way, then there are many members of a local church, and each has a unique position . . .
If you were with us in the last broadcast, you know that we were talking about the fact that we died to sin and now walk in newness of life. Going back to Romans today, we are going to look at that a little more closely and the spiritual life that we now have. One of our great riches and treasures is: we are alive spiritually. Prior to salvation we were dead spiritually. Now we are alive in Christ.
Romans 6:11 says, “Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Earlier in this chapter he is talking about the fact that we have died to sin. That does not mean sin has been eradicated or that we don’t sin. It means we are no longer under its dominance, mastery, and power. We are no longer its slave. We have died to that. Now he goes on and says that you consider yourself dead to sin but also consider yourself alive to God. So, as new creatures in Christ we have life. We have new life, and we have that new life in Christ Jesus. He tells us to consider this. This is an act of faith. When we look at our own lives, we realize we are certainly not totally dead to sin in a practical sense. We still struggle with that. We are to, by faith, believe that sin no longer need dominate our lives and that we are under the mastery of Jesus Christ.
Romans 6:12-14 says, “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” Paul fleshes this out for us. First, we are to stop letting sin reign in our body. That implies that sin is still around and our task as new creatures in Christ, those who are spiritually alive in the Lord, are to not allow sin to reign in our body. Sin no longer has the privilege of being our master, but we can invite sin to come in and reign over us and that is what he is warning about here. Even though we no longer are slaves to sin, we can invite it in and allow it to have power over our lives. Second, our physical parts, eyes, mind/thinking, tongue/speech, hands/the things we do, and so forth should not be presented to sin. It no longer has any dibs in our life. Third, instead of presenting your body parts of our mind, heart, hand, and tongue as instruments of sin, present them as instruments of righteousness to God. Allow God to use those things in your life as instruments of righteousness. He starts by saying to present yourself to God. Before you present the instruments to God, the body parts to God, you present yourself to God first . . .
The last two broadcasts we have been looking at some of our positions in Christ that we normally would not gravitate toward: we are the prisoners of the Lord, and we are the slaves of the Lord. Yet, I hope that as we explained those, we saw the glory of being a slave of Christ and a prisoner of Christ and all the benefits that are involved with that.
Today we balance that out with a happier theme: we are freed from sin. We are going to look at Romans today and look at what that means.
Romans 6:1 says, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be? How shall we who died to sin still live in it?” He tells us here that we have die to sin and been set free from sin and as we think about that, that is a hard thing to swallow, isn’t it? You and I know that we battle with sin. Sin has not ceased to be an issue in our lives. We struggle with it every day. Sometimes outwardly with things we say or do, sometimes inwardly with our attitudes and thoughts. We know the truth of sin. If we don’t recognize the sinfulness in our lives and our gravitation toward sin, then there is something delusional about us. We know we are sinners, and we know we deal with that. When we come to the Scriptures that tell us we are dead to sin, we want to understand what that really means to us.
It says in Romans 6:5, “For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection.” So, we have died with Christ who has died for us. Just as Christ died for us, He also resurrected from the dead. If we are in Christ, there is a sense in which we have died with Christ to sin and we have been resurrected to a newness of life.
Romans 6:6 continues, “knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin.” He is saying that because we have died with Christ to sin, sin is no longer our master. Sin no longer is the one that calls the shots in our lives. Sin no longer has dibs on us. We are out from under its mastery. We are out from under its power and its dominance. We now serve a new master. It is very important that we see that. It does not mean that we are free from the temptations of sin. It does not mean that we will not sin in the future, it does mean that we no longer have to sin as we once did. We are no longer under the mastery of sin . . .
If you joined us last broadcast, you might have been surprised as we are talking about the riches and treasures and our position in Christ and how glorious those things are that we went to the issue of being a slave of Christ. The word doulos is the word that should be translated in the Bible as slaves. We are the slaves of Christ. We find the apostles uniformly happy to be called the slaves of Christ. The New Testament also identifies us as slaves of Christ, not only now, but in eternity to come. These are wonderful privileges that are ours.
We are looking today to another title or position that doesn’t seem to be particularly inviting at first glance. We are also prisoners of the Lord. Who wants to be a prisoner? Well, if we are prisoners of the Lord, it is a very good thing.
Ephesians 3:1 says, “For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles.” Paul was, at this point, a physical Roman prisoner, but also, he was a prisoner of Jesus. Perhaps he is speaking of both here, but he certainly is speaking of being a prisoner of Christ. He says he was happy to be a prisoner of Christ, captive by Christ, in order to benefit the Gentiles. What was it that he benefited them with? If you read through the text, he wanted them to know the mysteries of Christ. Ephesians 3:5-6 says, “which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” Something took pace following the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ that most Jews weren’t so excited about: Gentiles were brought into the boy of Christ with them. So, the Lord formed a new entity, the church, and that New Testament church would be made up not just of the Old Testament chosen people, the Jews, but also of the multitude of Gentiles that came to Christ. As time went on, the church moved from a Jewish dominance to a Gentile dominance, but always from the early church and on it was composed of Jews and Gentiles who made up the body of Christ. Paul says that is a mystery. It was not something revealed very clearly in the Old Testament, so very few people were expecting this and very few people were excited about it, but Paul was, and he was excited that he, as the prisoner of the Lord, had been sent out by his Lord to give forth this mystery that the body of Christ would be made up of Jews and Gentiles . . .
Welcome again to our Wonderful Day in the Lord broadcast. As we start out another week, we are still on the theme of the riches we have in Christ and all the treasures that are ours in Him. This week we are going to look at several things that you might not realize are great riches, especially the first two.
The first one is the fact that you are a slave of Christ. That sounds pejorative in our world today. Slavery has a very negative connotation and rightly so. Especially from our perspective in the western world and modern times, the ugliness of slavery doesn’t leave a good taste in our mouth. It is not particularly surprising that the English Bibles that we use normally translate the Greek word doulos in happier terms, let’s say. It usually translates it as bond-servant, or just servant. Rarely do you find the Greek word doulos translated as slave which is its normal intent. The Legacy Standard Bible that I have been using for many of these broadcasts is a new publication put out by the Master’s Seminary in California. One of the things they have done consistently in this translation is to translate the word doulos as slave. I think that gives us a better understanding of what is being meant here
When we read passages, such as Romans 1:1 it says, “Paul a slave of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle.” Paul didn’t mind calling himself a slave. Neither did any of the other writers of the New Testament Scriptures. As a matter of fact, I have jotted down how many of the epistles begin with identification of being slaves of Christ: Philippians, Galatians, Romans, 2 Corinthians 4:5, Titus, James does the same thing in its opening verse, 2 Peter, Jude, Revelation 1:1. The writers of the Scriptures, virtually all the New Testament authors, identify themselves as the doulos or slaves of Christ. They saw no negative in that. As a matter of fact, they were very happy and proud to be called the slaves of the Lord Jesus Christ . . .
We welcome you once again to our broadcast and we are talking about some of the riches we have in Christ. The last couple broadcasts have been kind of overlapping. We looked at the Lord calling us to holiness and making us holy. Not that we live holy in the sense that we are beyond sin, but we are set apart by God for holiness. Then we looked at the word sanctification which is a compatible word with holiness. It is a type of synonym meaning to be set apart for a holy purpose in the New Testament. We are going to follow up on that today and look at that same word one more time. It is such an important word and one that is easily misunderstood. That word sanctification or sanctify is who we are.
Hebrews 2:10 says, “For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.” This is speaking here about Christ and His own perfection while on earth. Not that there was ever any sin in Christ, but it is speaking of a preparation for Him dying for us. Hebrews 2:11, “For both He who sanctifies and who are sanctified are all from on Father, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren.” What a beautiful phrase it is at the end of Hebrews 2:11, “He is not ashamed to call them brethren.” The fact that we are His family is because of what He has done, not what we have done. Because of Hebrews 2:10, He has died for us, and He can now sanctify us by Himself so that we are united with Him in His family, and we are brothers with the Lord Jesus Christ in that special way. What a remarkable thought to be sanctified so that we are in the family of God!
Looking at Hebrews 10:11, it says, “Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.” He is going back to the Old Testament. Under the Old Testament system God had set up this sacrificial system to cover the sins of the people, but those sacrifices could never truly take away sin. It was a covering until Christ would come and die for us. Hebrews 10:12 says, “but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God.” What the sacrifices of animals could not do Jesus Christ did at one sacrifice at the cross. When He died for us, He did what the sacrificial system could never do and that was to remove our sins from us. Then it says after His sacrifice for us and His resurrection He now sits down at the right hand of God and there He intercedes for us. Hebrews 10:13 says, “waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet.” . . .
As always, we thank you for taking a little time out of your day to join us in looking at the Word of God. Hopefully this is encouraging to your own devotional life and your walk with God. We thank you for letting us be a part of that.
Today, we are continuing to look at some of our riches that we have in Christ. Last time we looked at the fact that beyond all belief, it’s hard to imagine, but we are holy. We are holy because God has set us apart, and loved us, and declared us holy in Christ. We want to look at a complimentary word today. That is the world sanctified. We know the word holy, and we use the word holy even though as I indicated last time it is easy to misunderstand what that really means. The word sanctified is even more difficult because that is not a word that we use in everyday life. I can think of hardly any other context, outside of the Christian life and Scripture, that uses this word sanctify in any meaningful way. The word itself means that we are set apart. 1 Corinthians 1:2 is a good example. Corinth is probably the most difficult church in the New Testament. They had all sorts of problems, yet Paul writes to them and says, “To the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.” Here we have this fact that here is a group of Christians who are really struggling in their everyday Christian life and Paul writes all sorts of stuff to them to correct them and help them change, but he still says you are sanctified in Christ. That means you have been set apart for Christ. I like this illustration of one of my grandchildren to explain what this means. My grandson wanted a donut. We were going to pray, and we had these donuts laid out on a box and he licked one of the donuts before we prayed to sanctify it, which meant that it was set apart for him. He didn’t want anyone eating the donut he wanted, and he knew that if he licked it everyone else would leave it alone. After we got done praying, he had his donut because he had set it apart for his own purposes. On a much more profound level, we have been set apart, sanctified, by God for His holy purpose. So, the word itself simply means to set aside, or set apart, just as my grandson set apart his donut. In the biblical use, spiritually speaking, it means to be set apart for a holy purpose. So, God has set us apart for Himself for a holy purpose . . .
Today we are looking at our riches in Christ and some of the great blessings and privileges and treasures that the Lord has given us. We looked at a number of them throughout the last several weeks and we are looking at a couple more this week. Today we are looking at the fact that we are holy.
Do you ever think of yourself as holy? I doubt that most of us do because our definition of holiness is that of perfection. We know we have a holy God who is absolutely blameless, absolutely perfect, absolutely without sin, and so when we compare ourselves in any sense to the holiness of God, we know we fall short. As a matter of fact, that is our problem here. We know ourselves all too well and as we look into our own hearts, lives, actions and attitudes we always see blemishes. We see the evidence of sinful pollution. We know we are not holy in that sense, yet the Lord calls us to be holy because He is holy. That is an aspiration that we have as we want to move toward holiness in our lives. Even as we know we are not there yet, and we will never be in this lifetime. As a matter of fact, if we think we have become holy in our practice, we can be pretty much assured immediately that we are not holy at all and we are prideful and arrogant. So, we are dealing with a tough issue.
Yet, when we go to the New Testament Scriptures, it tells us that we are in fact holy. What does that mean? Hebrews 3:1 is just representative of numerous Scriptures, and it says, “Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus the Apostle and High Priest of our confession.” He calls us “holy brethren,” brethren being generic for believers. Those in the family of God. So, we are holy, and we are holy because we are “partakers of a heavenly calling.” Therefore, he is describing all Christians and not just those that seem to be so saintly that they don’t sin, because we know they do, but all Christians. He says all that have partaken of a heavenly calling are holy . . .
Today as we look at the riches we have in Christ and the blessings that are ours, this is going to be a bit different. Looking at Hebrews 11:13 we see a different blessing. This is one you may not think of.
Hebrews 11:13-16 says, “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed, if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.” It is speaking here about the Old Testament patriarchs and matriarchs like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah and so forth. Abraham and the other patriarchs are a wonderful example, on a physical level, of people who walked by faith with God in the Old Testament. Abraham in particular, left his home country and he went out to a land that God had promised him. Starting with Genesis 12 there is a repetition over and over throughout the book of Genesis of a covenant that God made with Abraham. The covenant was to Abraham that if he followed the Lord, if he came into this land and followed Him, then all that land that he will sojourn on and travel on is going to be for his descendants. Abraham believed God and by faith he was justified, and the Lord kept His promises as Abraham obeyed Him, in this regard, and the other patriarchs did the same thing. The picture here is that they never actually owned the property that they walked on. The only property that Abraham ever actually owned was a burial spot for his wife Sarah, and later on some of the other patriarchs were buried there and their wives and so forth, but they never actually owned that land themselves. Even with Isaac and Jacob, they never actually owned that land that they sojourned on, but by faith they believed it was coming. They believe that God would deliver to them that piece of real estate that He had promised to give them. As a result of that they were looking for a country that was beyond this country. In fact, Hebrews 11:10 says, “for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” They were looking beyond this physical real estate to something even beyond that to a heavenly city and to the eternal life that they would have with God, but they were sojourners on this land. They were strangers and aliens. That is what I want to speak about today . . .
We continue in our wonderful day in the Lord broadcast and talking about the great riches we have in Christ as Christians. These treasures and blessings are things that are ours because we are Christians. All of us have these whether we are walking with the Lord as we should or not. If you are believer, the things we have been talking about for the last few weeks are privileges and blessings and treasures that are yours in Christ. This week we are looking at a few more
We begin with 2 Corinthians 5:17 that talks about the fact we are new creations, or creatures. It can be translated either way. It says, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” “Anyone in Christ,” speaks of all believers. One thing this verse tells us is that at the moment of salvation we are changed into new creations. We are different. We are not simply warmed-over sinners. We are now saints. We have a new nature. We are not simply new and improved; we are new creatures. That is important because often Christianity is presented almost like a self-help faith in which if we become Christians, we can do this that or the other thing and become new people. The repercussions and outreach of our Christian walk should be that we improve our lives. That we become better people. That we are more what Christ would have us be. That is all true, but that is not the initial stage here. That is a consequence, or result, of the fact that we are new creatures in Christ. We want to appreciate what the Lord has done for us by making us new creatures.
Colossians 3:9-10 says, “Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him.” We laid aside the old self and that is the old fleshly nature that we were before Christ. The new self is the new creature. He doesn’t say to put it on it, he says we have put on. What we are looking at here is that our status, our position in Christ has changed. We are no longer what we used to be. We are now new creatures in Jesus Christ. We have that new self. We put off the old fleshly self we were before, and we are now new people in the Lord Jesus Christ . . .
We are finishing this week looking at Philippians 3:20 today. It says, “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” There is a wonderful blessing that is ours. We are citizens of heaven! That is true. All those who know Jesus Christ as their Savior are citizens of heaven. We live on earth, and there is a sense in which we are citizens of this planet as well. Most of us are citizens of America or another country. That is fine, we are part of this world, and we participate in this world, and we should be good citizens in this world. Primarily, however, we are citizens of heaven according to the spiritual blessings we have here.
Look at Philippians 3:17-18 and contrast as Paul does here. The citizenship of this earth is those who are earthbound. We will say it that way. People who do not know Christ are earthbound and we will contrast that lifestyle and that life with ours in Christ. That is what Paul does and in Philippians 3:17 it says, “Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ.” Apparently, he was talking about some who at least proclaimed to be believers at one time. He recognizes that they are not Christians saying, “they are enemies of the cross of Christ,” so they are opposed to the true gospel. They are opposed to Christ Himself and the cross.
Philippians 3:19 continues saying, “whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.” Because of their status of being enemies of the cross they are headed for eternal destruction, perhaps destruction on this planet as well as their lives often unravel, but definitely eternal destruction. Their appetites control them. They are controlled by their desires and not by the Lord. They are magnifying things that they should be ashamed of and that is how they live. Everything about their thought life is wrapped around things on this earth. You would expect that of unbelievers, what else do they have? I have often thought of those who do not know Christ and who are doing well in this life making money and going up the ladder in their career and I have often thought that if they are never going to come to the Lord, I hope they enjoy the life they have now . . .
As we continue looking at our riches in Christ, we are coming to one that many people may not actually grasp at first. That is that we are free from the Law. The book of Romans, Galatians, and other places speak clearly about our freedom from the Law.
Romans 6:14 says, “For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” There has been a shift. In the Old Testament, the Jews were under the Mosaic Law and that Law contained over six hundred laws. Included are the Ten Commandments which were central. Then you have other laws wrapped around that, some ceremonial, some civil law, some moral law. All are wrapped around those things. One of the problems with the Law was that people tried to keep it for the wrong reasons. The Law was perfect as Romans 7 tells us. It reflects the moral nature of God. It is very important for us to examine it and much of the Old Testament moral law is reiterated in the New Testament so there is not a complete break here in that sense. However, the Law itself was powerless in two major areas: the Law could not save anyone, and the Law was never intended for sanctification.
First, the Law could not save anyone. I have heard Christians today, that I think should know better, say that in the Old Testament they were saved by keeping the Law and doing the sacrifices and in the New Testament they were saved by the finished work of Christ and by faith. That is not true. No one has ever been saved by keeping the Law. Firstly, because it was never intended to save anybody. Secondly, no one has ever kept the Law perfectly except Jesus Christ Himself who kept it on our behalf. So, to be saved by the Law is an impossibility.
Second, the Law was never intended for sanctification. Sanctification means to help us grow in Christ. We can look at the moral Law and we see the reflection of the nature of God in that Law, that is very helpful. Paul says in Romans 7 that he was not able to keep that Law. The more he tried the more he realized how much he failed. That was his whole life, trying to keep the Law, he was a miserable and hopeless failure because he could not keep the Law. So, it was never intended to save us or to sanctify us . . .
Today we look at another of our great riches in Christ. First, we are going to start with Christ Himself. Here is the treasure we are going to look at today: the fact that we are seated at the right hand of God. To get there, we must do a little bit of putting some pieces together.
Starting with Ephesians 1:20, this is a teaching in the New Testament that perhaps some people haven’t gathered or paid attention to, but it says, “which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places.” Historically, what we are looking at here, is that Jesus Christ came to earth and lived as a man on this planet. He went to the cross and died for our sins. He went to the grave and was resurrected from the dead. That is all part of the cross story.
Following His resurrection, forty days later, He ascended into heaven. We see that in Acts 1. As He was ascended into heaven, what happened from there? The Scripturesreminded us in the Old Testament and now tells us in the New Testament that He went to the right hand of the Father. He is seated there at the right hand. The right hand of a monarch in the ancient times was a place of honor. A place of authority and power. So, by saying that Jesus Christ is at the right hand of the Father, we are learning that He is at the place of authority and power and honor, and no one can sit at the right hand of God unless they are God. That is one of the things that got Jesus in trouble with the Sanhedrin when He said that very thing, that He would be at the right hand of the Father. They knew at that point that He was claiming deity and they did not like it. Now we find that after He is resurrected and ascended that He is at the right hand of the Father . . .
Looking at the riches we have in Jesus Christ is encouraging and I think it is helpful in helping us realize how much we do have. Last time we looked at the privilege of belonging to God. He is ours and we can proclaim His excellencies.
Today we are looking at Ephesians 1 and I’d like to note that we have been blessed in very special ways. We start off with Ephesians 1:3 which says, “Blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” Most of us are probably on many occasions asking God for more blessings. I once challenged our church to spend a whole week in their prayer life never once using the word “bless.” Such as Lord bless me, or Lord bless so and so. A lot of people came back and said it was hard not to use the word bless in relationship to prayer. When we come to this verse, it kind of convicts us that we have already been blessed, according to verse 3, with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. He is talking about spiritual blessings here. He is not talking about physical blessings per se. He says every spiritual blessing possible in Christ Jesus has already been given to us. So, we are a highly blessed people. We are highly rich, very, very rich in spiritual things because of Christ Jesus. The phrase that says, “in Christ,” is a very unique and special phrase in the New Testament. It is found over one hundred times and we find that all of our blessings are “in Christ.” To be “in Christ,” is how we are blessed. He goes on in this passage of Scripture to give us some specific ways of which we have been blessed in Christ. In Ephesians 1:4 it says, “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love…” We have been hand-picked and chosen by God to be His and we have been given the privilege of being holy and blameless before Him and loved. Then it goes on to say, “He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will.” We looked at this recently. He has adopted us into the family of God so that we have all the privileges of a full-grown son in Christ . . .
We have been working through the subject of the riches we have in Christ over the last few weeks. We are going to continue looking at more riches that are ours this week. There is so much in the Word of God that tell of our blessings in Him. It is good to be reminded of that once in a while. A lot of times people tend to gravitate toward the difficult things in life and maybe get despondent over the difficult things we are facing and such and we tend to forget the blessings and riches and treasures that are ours in Christ. The New Testament doesn’t forget that, and it is constantly reminding us of who we are in Jesus Christ. It is so helpful in our own lives.
The first is in 1 Peter 2:9. This is one of my favorite verses in Scripture. It says, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” Then in 1 Peter 2:10 it continues, “for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” This is a beautiful passage of Scripture. Last week, in our Wednesday night service, we had a missionary from Mongolia, whom we have supported for twenty-nine years, speaking about the fact that the Lord is at work calling out people for Himself. That is primarily what He is doing. He is calling out a people from every tribe, tongue, and nation as a people for Himself, and this passage of Scripture speaks of that very clearly. What a teaching here! We are a chosen family, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession. We belong to God. We are the possession of Almighty God. What a thought that is! . . .
As we conclude this week talking about Our Riches in Christ, and all the treasures that are ours in Him, we are looking at power today. We have been given the empowerment to do several things as a Christian.
Sometimes I am asked what is the difference between living the Christian life under the power of the Holy Spirt, under the power of God, verses self-discipline? The answer to that is that all those self-disciplines can accomplish many things, but there are certain things it cannot accomplish. The Lord calls on us to do things, discipline ourselves, obey and so forth, but without His enablement, we are incapable of doing the things that matter spiritually.
I am going to discuss three things concerning the power the Lord gives us:
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The Power of Evangelism. Acts 1:8 says, “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” The twelve apostles, and those that ministered with them, could not really go out and do anything of significance, spiritually speaking, they could not bring people to Christ without the enablement and power of the Holy Spirit. So, they were instructed to wait until that power came. When that power came, the Lord did wonderful things to the ministries of these apostles and others.
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The Power of Salvation. You cannot save yourself and without the power of the gospel you are hopelessly lost. Two very important passages on this are in Romans and 1 Corinthians. Romans 1:16 says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” Paul said that he was not ashamed of the gospel. He said he would not pull back from explaining and giving out the gospel. It is the only power available for salvation. So, he is far from ashamed of it because of its power. In 1 Corinthians 1:18, something very similar is said, “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” . . .
In the last broadcast we looked at one of the great privileges that we have in Christ and that is that we are in the family of God. If we are Christians and have received Jesus Christ as our Savior and believed in Him according to John 1:12, we are the very children of God. In Romans we saw that as Christians we have been adopted into the family of God and therefore, we are His legitimate grown-up children with all the privileges that an adult child would have, as was true in the Roman system of adoption. That is true of the Christian as well. We are full grown children in the family of God.
There is a secondary part of that treasure we have in the family of God. We also have a family of others who have been saved by the Lord Jesus. So, we are in the family of God, but in that family, we have siblings, we might say. So, that is another wonderful privilege of ours that we have as we will see in 1 John 3.
As we think about how we need the family of God, we first find that we have a Father, a heavenly Father. It says in 1 John 3:1, “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason, the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.” This verse tells us that being in the family of God means that we have a Father. That Father, of course, is God Himself. He says here that this is a great love to be called the children of God. The world doesn’t understand that, or accept that, and they do not accept us in that sense because the world does not accept Him. It doesn’t understand what God has done for us . . .
As we continue looking at our Riches in Christ, one of those immense privileges in Christ is that we are in the family of God. We belong to Him in two ways: we are His children by birth, and we are adopted.
First, we are His children by birth. In John 1:12 it says this, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” As we read that verse of Scripture, we find that we become the children of God when we receive Him and believe in His name. That is the moment of conversion, the moment of salvation. Until then, we are not in the family God. According to Scripture, we are actually in the family of Satan, and he is our father, but now we are in the family of God.
Second, we are in His family by adoption. Romans 8:15 talks about the adoption into the family of God and says, “For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’” It speaks here about being adopted into the family of God so that we are His sons. This speaks of both men and women, and we cry out “Abba! Father!” which is a term of endearment. He is now our Father, not just in a theological sense, or generic sense, but He is our personal Father. We are endeared to Him. We have a family relationship with Almighty God because He has adopted us into His family.
In the Roman system at the time, adoption was a little different than we have today. People could adopt children, relatives, or even adults into their own family. Octavian was adopted by Julius Caesar. He was a relative, but he was not his son, and he would go on to become emperor. That was something that the Romans often did. What happened at that moment of adoption was the past of that individual was erased. Their family identity from the past was gone. They now had a new family and a new identity. If they had financial debts, those were expunged. It was a pretty good deal, wasn’t it? Those debts were erased. If they were in trouble with the law, then they are no longer in trouble with the law because they are a new person and there is no record against them. All their past has been erased and a new identity has begun. A new life has begun. That was what happened in the Roman adoption system . . .
In our last broadcast we were looking at one of our riches in Christ and that was that He is with us. He lives in us, and we have His presence in a very localized and different sense than the world does. We know He is everywhere at once, He is omnipresent, but He lives within us, He dwells within us through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. What a privilege that is. Even to contemplate the idea that we carry around God in our bodies is mind blowing. It is a privilege and one of our great riches.
Along with that we have our privilege of our access to God. The truth that He lives in us gives us the privilege of communicating with Him. We are looking at Hebrews today. Some of you might have a desire to meet with a celebrity or very famous person. Maybe you would love to have an audience with a politician, or maybe not. Perhaps it’s a singer or a movie star or if you are more spiritual it may be a preacher or a bible teacher or someone that has meant a lot to you in your spiritual pilgrimage, and you would love to have a sit down with them. You would love an opportunity to ask questions of them. I remember when I was going to bible college Warren Wiersbe was speaking that week and he set up a block of time in the afternoons to have interviews with anyone who would want to come talk to him. I set up a time to go see him, and I sat down and talked with him for about fifteen minutes asking him question about his life and his disciplines as a pastor. I thought that was a great privilege. Now, if that was a great privilege, think of what the great privilege of knowing Jesus Christ and being able to communicate and having access to Him is!
The book of Hebrews comes to mind on this topic because this is a book of Scripture that is constantly inviting us to draw near to God and to have access to Him in a way that no other book of Scripture does. It is a wonderful reminder to us. In Hebrews 4:14-16 it says, “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” We have looked at this passage before for various things. I want to look at this again and this time I want to look at the fact that we are invited to draw near to God . . .
We are working through the theme right now of “Our Riches in Christ.” These are the treasures that we have in the Lord Jesus, or privileges, if you prefer to call them that. This week, we are looking at five more of these wonderful riches that are ours. These are things we have only because we know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.
Today we are going to talk about the presence of God. We know that the Lord is everywhere, He is omnipresent. He is everywhere, at all times. We know that. If we had the capability to look around us and see all the things that are invisible to our eyes, I think it would scare us to death. Sometimes as I sit in my house as I look through a sunbeam coming through a window, I see all the dust particles that are there, and I say to myself, how do we even live? How can we breathe with all these dust particles that normally I do not see at all? Only if you have the right light can you see those kinds of things. It’s kind of astounding. How many more things are like that? Things that are totally invisible to our eyes.
If we think about the spiritual realm, we know that the angels and demonic powers live in the heavenly places, and somehow, they are around us in an invisible sense. We do not know how that works. I think if we could see that, we would be petrified. Then, of course, there is God. The Lord Himself is everywhere, yet He is invisible to us, we don’t see Him, and yet we find in the Scriptures that He is always with us, and we, as Christians, can enjoy His presence.
The fact that He is everywhere means that all people, whether they are believers or not, are living in the presence of God. Scripture tells us that because we are His we have a very specialized form of His presence. As Christians, according to the Bible, the Holy Spirit lives in us. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 tells us, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore, glorify God in your body.” The Legacy Standard Translation translates this word “temple” as “sanctuary”. Sanctuary is a better translation because in the Jewish temple it was a very large building with many compartments, but the sanctuary was where the presence of God dwelled. That is what it is saying here. We are the very sanctuary of God. The Holy Spirit dwells in us if we are His . . .
As we conclude our first week of the new year on our Wonderful Day in the Lord broadcast, I hope you are enjoying our new series on Our Riches in Christ. We have looked at a number of those already. Today I want to look at the wonderful riches of being forgiven. Most of us look at our own lives, especially after what we saw yesterday concerning the biblical description of our nature and who we are before Christ with the description wreaking of sin telling us we are people in the darkness of sin, and we rightly question if we deserve to be forgiven. We may not feel forgiven at all. The answer to if we deserve to be forgiven is: NO! Neither you nor I deserve to be forgiven. We have done nothing that merits being forgiven, and we don’t feel forgiven even if we are forgiven, even on a human level. When we have sinned or hurt someone, and they have forgiven us; we may not feel that they have forgiven us. When it comes to God, it is not unusual for many true believers to carry about this heavy load of guilt and doubt, wondering if God truly has forgiven them. We know we have gone through the motions and asked the Lord to forgive us, we have prayed prayers and pleaded with Him, but we still don’t feel forgiven and so it often is a great burden for us. One of the great riches that we can find in the Lord is the very fact that we have been forgiven if we have come to Jesus Christ by faith alone for forgiveness.
The prodigal son probably felt that way. You remember one of the most famous stories in Scripture where the prodigal son has left home, taken his inheritance, and wasted it on lousy living. When he is at the very end of himself, he decides he should go home. We pick up his story in Luke 15:18-20, which says, “I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.’ So, he got up and came to his father.” Then going to Luke 15:21, it says, “And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’” So, the prodigal son needed forgiveness and so he turns back home and goes to his father, but he doesn’t really expect forgiveness. He is hoping his father will take him in and give him a job on the farm. At least he can eat and have a roof over his head. That is pretty much all he expected from his father . . .
If you have your Bible, turn to Romans 3. We are looking at our riches in Christ and the many treasures that are ours and we are going to look today at one of the very foundational riches in Christ.
Who are we as believers in Christ?
I am looking first at bad news then we will turn to good news. The bad news is found in Romans 3:9. It is very bad news. Just reading these verses can very much depress you when you realize your natural state coming into this world and your life before Christ and what that description looks like as given here. So, look at this with me.
Romans 3:9 says, “What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin.” The Scripture never shies away from this sin word. Today people often do because they don’t want to talk about sin. What did he mean by sin? . . .
Welcome once again to our Wonderful Day in the Lord broadcast. I trust you are inviting me into your home, car or office and taking just a few minutes to open the Word of God with me. We are looking at the great riches we have in Christ. As I think about some of those riches, we are still looking at the book of Ephesians as it is so full of this subject. I’d like to look at Ephesians 1:4, at one of the great riches that are ours in Christ.
Ephesians 1:4 says, “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.” This is a verse some people shy away from because they don’t quite comprehend what it is saying, and we understand that. These verses are very intense and heavy, but they are also very important. What we find here is that He chose us. I don’t know a lot of you that are watching or listening on a personal basis, but some of you may have come from backgrounds where you were unwanted. I know of children who have been unwanted by their parents and grew up in that type of environment. There are people that have been abused, neglected, or harmed in many ways. There are people who have gone to school or work and been rejected by most of their peers and have grown up lonely and unwanted. Then later in life, this haunts them as they begin to question if anyone loves them or wants them. They wonder if everyone rejects them, and they feel very concerned about that. Some act out in anger because they feel rejected and unloved. They turn against the world and people. These are people that do great harm and damage in our society sometimes. They are angry people, and they are angry because they feel unloved and neglected and no one has ever wanted them, and they are going to teach some people some lessons. These are the kinds of things that many people have grown up with and you may be one of those people. Perhaps you have never known the love and acceptance of other people in a way that really meant a lot to you. I don’t know. Now, even if you have known a better background, it is amazing to look at a verse like this and realize that no matter what our background has been, no matter how difficult life might have been for you, or how unwanted or unloved you may feel right at this moment, you have the most important being in the whole universe that reached out and in eternity past and chose you! He chose YOU! He hand-picked you for Himself from the foundation of the earth! Why would He do that? On what basis? . . .
Yesterday we began a new series. We are looking at our riches that we have in Christ, or our position in Christ. We are looking at who we are because we are believers in the Lord Jesus. The New Testament floods us with information along that line. We could outline, to some degree, perhaps a whole New Testament, especially the epistles, around this issue of who we are in Christ and what He has done for us and our riches in Him. I’m not sure how long we will look at this together, but I think this is going to be a very rich study.
Yesterday we looked at some of the riches that are identified for us in Ephesians 1- 3:
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Riches of His grace. (Eph. 1:7)
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Riches of His mercy. (Eph. 2:7)
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Riches of unfathomable proportions. (Eph. 3:8)
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Riches of His glory. (Eph. 3:16)
We are looking at the fifth of the riches that Paul identifies. I want to spend a little extra time on this one. He is just getting ready to go into Ephesians 4 into what we might call the applicational section of this epistle. In Ephesians 1-3 he told us who we are. He tells us about our riches and doesn’t tell us to do anything, he simply says this is who we are in Christ. Then in Ephesians 4 he begins to apply all that he has taught us in relationship to how we should live for the Lord.
In Ephesians 3:14 he begins this very valuable prayer. This is one of the most wonderful prayers you will find anywhere in Scripture. It says, “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,” so we see here he is praying. He is praying for the Ephesians, and by extension he is praying for us as well . . .
We are starting a new year! The last two years have been hard years for many of us, and probably for most of the world. We don’t know where 2022 will take us, but we hope it is a little easier for all of us, but it may not be.
We have talked about a lot of things over the last two years on these broadcasts. Many of you have followed along and we very much appreciate that and trust it has been helpful to you. As I was thinking about starting a new year with all of you, I asked myself, “If I could come to your house every morning for just five minutes, and have a cup of coffee, and have a personal time to talk about the Lord with you what would I want to talk about?” It would be a wonderful privilege for me to be able to do that with each of you individually, but that is not feasible, so this format is, in a sense, a way for me to sit down and talk about Christ with each of you in the comfort of your home, office, or even your car. As I pondered this question, I thought that I would like to talk to you about just how rich we are in Christ.
The topic of our riches in Christ is very important in the New Testament, but it is often neglected. We talk about the things we ought to do for the Lord. We talk about what He has done for us. We talk about obligations. We talk about obedience. We talk about all sorts of things that are very important to the Christian life, but I think many times we simply don’t know who we are in Christ. We don’t know our riches, or the treasures, which are ours in the Lord Jesus. If we don’t know who we are, then we are not likely to live out the life that we should live out . . .
This is our final broadcast for the incarnation series as well as for the 2021 year.
We are completing our look at the five implications of the incarnation:
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Jesus came to reveal God to us.
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Jesus came to defeat death and take the fear of death away from us because He has also defeated the devil.
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Jesus came to be our sympathetic High Priest.
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Jesus came to show us what it is like to be a humble servant of Almighty God.
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Jesus came to show us how to run the race of life victoriously and with endurance.
Looking at Hebrews 12:1 it says, “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” All of us know that life is hard. I think we are fooling ourselves to say that it is not. It is difficult, and it is exceedingly difficult at times for Christians specifically because we who are children of the Light, according to Scripture, live in a world of darkness. We are surrounded by that which does not go well with the nature that God has given us of Light. So, we face this world system in a unique way. It can be very difficult at times and often very discouraging, so we are not surprised to find that sometimes in Scripture we are given ideas, pictures, principles, and teachings concerning how we can run this life in such a way that honors God. In this passage, which speaks of an implication of the incarnation, we find that some of the things that mess us up in this life are sins which “entangle us.” They trip us up. You can’t run a race and have your shoelaces tied together. The sin trips us up and entangles us along with our other issues that cause us to get sidetracked. Hinderances and so forth weigh us down and keep us from moving forward as we should. Sin makes life hard, and the world system is permeated by sin. Not just our sin, but the sin of the system around us, and the sin of others. We must face all of that and we know that it is there . . .
We have been looking at the implications of the incarnation. So far, we have looked at the first three:
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Jesus came to reveal God to us.
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Jesus came to defeat death and take the fear of death away from us because He has also defeated the devil.
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Jesus came to be our sympathetic High Priest.
The fourth implication is humility. Christ came to give us the perfect example of humility.
In Philippians 2:3-4 we read, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” As Paul writes these words, he is calling for the people at the church of Philippi to exercise humility and humbleness. We are self-absorbed people by nature. We focus on ourselves and our needs. Our lives are more important than what is true of anybody else’s lives. For us to go counter to that is not normal. As the Scriptures exhort us to consider others more important than ourselves, and to humble ourselves, and to serve others; that is a great exhortation. It is very humble and one we should follow and obey. Wouldn’t it be great to have an example of what that looks like? We can interpret this in many different ways, so an example would be great. Paul understands that, through the inspiration of the Spirit, and he gives us the absolute perfect example of humility, which of course is found in Jesus Christ.
In Philippians 2:5 it says, “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus.” This is how we should think, and this should be our attitude: the attitude that Christ had. We continue in Philippians 2:6 which says, “who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped.” Paul starts out by telling us that our Savior, the Son of God, existed at the highest level possible. He existed in the form of God, and He was God. For all of eternity, it’s important to understand this, the Son of God has controlled this universe, ran this universe, and had been at the very top of all things. Everything in this universe He created, so He is the highest being in the universe within the Godhead. He is at the apex of all things. So, we start with that. Who could be higher than Him? No one! . . .
We have been looking at the implications of the incarnation. So far, we have looked at the first two:
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Jesus came to reveal God to us.
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Jesus came to defeat death and take the fear of death away from us because He has also defeated the devil.
The third implication is that Jesus came to be our great sympathetic High Priest.
We are looking at Hebrews 4 that talks about this in the clearest detail. Have you ever had someone come to you when you were going through a difficult trial? They said to you, “I know how you feel.” Yet, if that person has not gone through the things that we are going through they do not know how we feel or what we are going through and that can be a bit disingenuous and we might even recoil against that and say, “No, you don’t know. You have not been there. You haven’t seen what I have seen. You haven’t felt what I felt. You really don’t understand.” So, that could have the same idea with God. If God is so different than us; He is so holy, powerful, and knowledgeable, then how can He understand in any sense what you and I go through? How could He empathize with us? He is wholly other.
We come to this passage of Scripture and the Lord wants us to know that He does sympathize and understand because Jesus Christ has been there. He has been there because He was incarnate. Hebrews 4:14-15 says, “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” When Jesus Christ was on earth, He faced the same kind of temptations as you and me. That does not mean He had every detail and type of temptation or every circumstance possible, but every kind of temptation. Every issue of temptation, and everything that temptation of sin can come against and bombard us with, Jesus faced. He faced it in its full fury because He was the holy Son of God, and He had the devil working against Him as well. So, He was constantly under the bombardment of the highest level of temptation possible. Our passage tells us He faced all that temptation without sin. So, no matter the level of temptation that came His way, He never faltered, never failed, and never gave in. Although He has been where we have been and has felt what we have felt to the highest intensity possible, He never faltered and never failed. That should give us great comfort.
In fact, it goes on to make an application of this in Hebrews 4:16. It says, “Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” The first part of this verse tells us that because Christ has been there and He is our Great High Priest, we can go to Him and to the Father through Him. We can draw near with confidence to the “throne of grace.” What a beautiful way of expressing it. The throne of grace. Coming before God Himself, His throne, described as grace, through Jesus Christ our High Priest is a precious promise and opportunity. He says we can do so with confidence . . .
We are looking at some implications of the incarnation. What specifically does the New Testament tell us concerning why Jesus Christ came in human form? We found the first reason last time:
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Jesus came to explain God. By coming to the earth as a man the Lord lived among us and revealed to us the nature and person of God in ways that even the Old Testament and nature couldn’t do. It’s a full picture, as much as we can possibly handle in this lifetime, of who God is. We see that in Christ.
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Jesus came to defeat the devil.
We are looking at Hebrews 2:14-15 today. Hebrews 2:14 says, “Therefore since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil.” He tells us here that Christ took on human form, He shared in the flesh and blood of humanity, and “He likewise also partook of the same.” Why? “That through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil.” The devil, apparently, has the power of death. Somehow God has allowed that to happen because of sin and because He is the god of this age therefore, he has power in relationship to death. Christ has come to render him powerless. One of the great truths about the coming of Jesus Christ is that He has come to set us free. You will know the truth, it is said in the gospel of John, and the truth will set you free. Jesus says in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” We find that Christ comes to set us free . . .
This is our last series production for A Wonderful Day in the Lord for this year, 2021. It has been a long year. It has been a tough year in many ways, but in other ways it has gone very quickly. What I would like to do to finish out 2021 is to stay with the issue of the incarnation. Last week we looked at the incarnation itself, the coming of Jesus Christ as the great Godman. I’d like to spend these next five days looking at the implications of the incarnation. What does it mean to us? How does it apply to us that God became a man? In some respects, almost everything that we believe and trust in goes back to what Jesus Christ did when He came to earth as our Savior. I’d like to pick out five different implications of the incarnation that are expressed very clearly in the New Testament.
The first one, is that He has come to explain to us more fully who God is. There are three different ways that the Godhead is explained or revealed according to Scripture:
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Nature. Romans 1:18-20 says, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them, for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” So, Scripture teaches in numerous places - Psalms 8 and 19 and various different places - about the fact that we know much about God on the basis of what we see in the world around us. The nature and universe around us reveal the glory of God. So, we do have some understanding of God from nature.
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Old Testament Scriptures. The Scriptures in the Old Testament are replete with information about who God is and what He does. It is such a joy to read much of that Scripture especially in places like the Psalms that reveal so much about our God in those wonderful Psalms.
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Jesus Christ. A fuller revelation about God is found in Jesus Christ. We pick that up in John 1:14 which says, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” “The Word” here is going back to John 1:1-2, the logos, which is Jesus Christ the Son of God. He became flesh. This logos became flesh. He lived among us, and “we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father.” So, there are some aspects of the glory of God that is seen in the person of Jesus Christ when He was here on earth in the flesh. In some sense, the glory of God was veiled so that when Jesus was in a human form, we did not get to see the full manifestation of the wonder of God, but there are aspects of the glory of God seen in the incarnation, in the Son of God. John 1:18 goes on to explain this further saying, “No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.” What a wonderful verse of Scripture. The Scriptures are clear that no one has ever seen the full glory, the full manifestation, of God. It is not possible for a human to see the full manifestation of God and live. He lives in indescribable light . . .
This is our last of five broadcasts that we are looking at together coming up to Christmas. We are looking at five components of the incarnation:
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It was prophesied in the Old Testament.
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It was anticipated by the saints in the gospels prior to the incarnation.
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It was announced by the angels.
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It was received and pondered by the shepherds who rejoiced and Mary who treasured these things.
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Simeon and Anna worshiped.
We are looking at Simeon and Anna, two Old Testament saints who very much anticipated the coming of the Messiah. It would seem they knew much about the coming of the Messiah, the incarnation of Christ, more than perhaps almost anybody. So, the Lord puts them in the gospel of Luke to bring them to our attention.
In Luke 2:28, we find that they worship and that is going to be our final word today. They worshiped at the incarnation. Luke 2:28 says, “then he took Him into his arms and blessed God and said…” So, we find him taking the baby Jesus in the temple and he blesses God because of the incarnation. He knows what has happened. He knows who this is, this little child, is no little normal child. This is the gift of God to humanity. He blesses God. He worships God. The word “blessed” here is where we get our word for eulogy. It means “to speak well of.” He is speaking well of God and praising God for what He has given at this time.
We look at Luke 2:29-30 which says, “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bondservant to depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation.” He knows what he was seeing here. He wasn’t just talking about the releasing of the Jews from bondage. He was talking about the salvation that the Messiah had come to bring. He had seen it! It would be many years, about three decades, before this would happen that Christ would die for them, but he knew what was coming. He knew he wouldn’t be around, but he had seen it and he knew what was coming.
In Luke 2:31 he continues, “Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, A Light of revelation to the gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.” This is way before his time in a sense, although it was prophesied in the Old Testament that the gospel of salvation would be for the Gentiles as well, if you know your New Testament at all, the Jews were not prepared for that. Most Jews had very little interest in God’s plan of salvation coming to anybody but Israel. Simeon was way ahead of his game here. He knew exactly why Jesus had come and it was not just for the salvation of Israel. It was for them, but it was also for the Gentiles, and he mentions that very particularly here . . .
So far, we have uncovered the following facts from Scripture regarding the incarnation of Jesus Christ:
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Prophecy. The incarnation was prophesied in the book of Isaiah as well as other places in the Old Testament.
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Anticipation. Prior to the incarnation in the gospels, the saints at that time, many who knew the Old Testament prophecies, had anticipated His coming with great excitement and Zacharias was one of those.
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Announcement. The angels announced it on the great night of the birth of Jesus Christ. Today we are going back to Luke 2 and taking a closer look at these shepherds as well as Mary and the fact that they rejoiced and treasured the incarnation.
Let’s first look at the shepherds again. I mentioned last time about what a night that must have been for the shepherds. My imagination runs wild with some of this. We know nothing about these shepherds after this night. What we do know is that in Luke 2:18 it says, “And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds.” When the shepherds proclaimed to others about what they saw others marveled. So, we know they went out and broadcast what they had seen. We know they obeyed the voice of the angel that told them to go and check on this incarnation, this birth of Jesus. They did that. We find in Luke 2:20 it says, “The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.” We know the shepherds are rejoicing and worshiping. They are worshiping God for what they have seen in Jesus’ birth. We find them rejoicing throughout this whole section. I have to wonder though, what happened to these guys? We don’t find them later in the life of Jesus. We don’t find them at the cross when Jesus went to the cross some thirty years later. Of course, many of them may have already passed away, we don’t know. I would like to know! That is one of the things I’m looking forward to finding out about when we go to glory. We really don’t know, but we do know that on this particular night they are rejoicing, they are worshiping, they are marveling, they are telling other people about what they have seen. It’s interesting to imagine what happened over the next twenty, thirty or forty years of their lives as they thought about that night. Perhaps they started to wonder if they just had a dream questioning if it was real or not? I imagine that in those times after they talked to one another and confirmed they were there and saw those angels, heard those words, and saw that baby in the manger they would be confident once again that it was real. Perhaps as they thought about it, as they reminisced and chatted that they would say that they lost track of Him, but we hear He is over in Jerusalem preaching. That same baby we saw all those years ago is giving a message of the gospel, a message of repentance, a message of the kingdom. A few years later maybe they reminisce and catch up and hear that the Pharisees and leaders of the Jews were against Him and led Him to the Romans to be crucified and now we have heard He was resurrected from the dead. What do they know? No one has written a song concerning, Shepherds Did You Know? I don’t know what they knew . . .
We continue our series looking at the incarnation. We have looked at a couple aspects already:
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Prophecy. The incarnation was prophesied in the book of Isaiah as well as other places in the Old Testament.
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Anticipation. Prior to the incarnation, the saints at that time, many who knew the Old Testament prophecies had anticipated His coming with great excitement and Zacharias was one of those.
Today we are looking at the actual birth of Jesus. As we do so we are looking at the announcement by the angels of the coming of Jesus Christ.
We look to Luke 2 which is very familiar to those of us who are used to going to church and especially at Christmastime as it is the Christmas story. I am not going to read it all, but we are going to read portions as we dwell on the shepherd and angels at this time.
Luke 2:9 says, “And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.” We have the angels announcing to the shepherds the coming of Jesus Christ. They are going to give them good news.
Then it says in Luke 2:10, “But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people;” A couple things to point out here. Just think of the shock that had to be for the shepherds that night. They were minding their own business. They were out taking care of business tending the sheep as they often did. It was nighttime, nothing much happening. They were probably just sitting around, perhaps eating some supper or relaxing, we don’t really know. Then suddenly something that has never happened before, the sky fills up with lights and an angel and the great announcement is given. Now, the angel tells them not to be afraid, saying, “I bring you good news.” Good news is our word for gospel. So, the angel is bringing us a gospel. They are bringing us the good news of something transpiring not far from where they were. They wanted these shepherds to know that. Why God chose the shepherds we do not know. In that ancient time, shepherds were not important people, they were considered fairly low on the economic scale. They were not leaders or rulers or rabbis. They were common people and yet God chose to reveal to them first, outside of Mary and Joseph, that the Messiah had been born. So, it is good news, and the angels bring that good news to them . . .
As we record these broadcasts, we are building up to Christmas and so this is Christmas week, and we are talking about the incarnation. Yesterday we looked at the Old Testament prophecy of the incarnation. It was no accident. God had planned this from all of eternity and it is revealed in the Old Testament. Isaiah 9 is perhaps one of the key passages in the Old Testament in the prediction of the incarnation.
Now we are looking at the anticipation of the Jewish people prior to the coming of Jesus. So, now we have the Old Testament saints, who believe the message of Isaiah, and it is because they believe the message of Isaiah that they anticipated the coming of the king, the coming of the Messiah. One of the premier places for that is in Luke 1 and the prayer of Zacharias. Zacharias was the father of John the Baptist and Zacharias had been told that John would be born, and he would be a forerunner of Jesus Christ the Messiah.
John is born when we come to Luke 1:67 and on. Zacharias prays a magnificent, beautiful prayer full of truths and theology and even prophecy. What we find here, in the first several verses, is that the Messiah had come to set the people free. He came to set them free physically from the bondage that they are in, at this time they were under the bondage of Rome. So, Israel would be set free physically by this coming Messiah. Zacharias talks about that.
When we come to Luke 1:76 he begins to talk about the spiritual liberation that is ours in Jesus Christ, the coming Messiah. Here are the things we pick up on there. About five different things in this prayer. Luke 1:77 says, “To give to His people the knowledge of salvation.” This says that when the Messiah comes, He is going to “give to His people the knowledge of salvation.” The Old Testament people had a knowledge of salvation. There were people who were saved and there were people that were regenerated, but the full extent of salvation is not possible until Jesus Christ would come to this earth, live a perfect life, die on the cross and be resurrected from the dead. So, this knowledge of salvation is the full knowledge and extent of salvation that would be given by our Messiah . . .
We are leading up to Christmas right now, so after finishing our last series, I felt we should talk about the incarnation of Jesus Christ. We are going to spend the next five days on this and look at various aspects of the incarnation. More specifically we will look at five important components of the incarnation.
The first one is the fact that the incarnation, God becoming man when Jesus Christ took on flesh, was prophesied in the Old Testament. This was no afterthought on the part of God. God did not come up with a plan because He had to or because things didn’t go well with His original plan, so He needed a plan B. We had known throughout all the revelation of Scripture that the Son of God was coming. More revelation was given as time went on and of course the fulfillment of that revelation is found in the New Testament.
Isaiah 9 really gives us great details about the prophecy of the coming of Jesus Christ, the incarnation. Isaiah 9:2 says, “The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land; The light will shine on them.” Isaiah starts this particular section of Scripture by pointing out that people in darkness need light. That is what everyone needs. They need light if they are in darkness. So, a great light is coming right in the heart of darkness. That light will shine on them. He gives details beginning in Isaiah 2:6. This is a familiar passage to us, especially around the Christmas season. It says, “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders.” We find Isaiah prophesying that the Lord is going to come to set up a kingdom. The big picture is that Christ is coming to ultimately set up a kingdom even beyond the cross, redemption and our salvation, though all that is part and parcel of the whole thing, and it should not be minimized in any sense. He will set up a kingdom in which those who have been redeemed because of what Jesus Christ has done will rule and reign with Him and be His servants forever and ever. The Scriptures talk about that kingdom here and tell us several things about that kingdom that will be established by this coming of Jesus Christ.
Continuing with Isaiah 2:6, it says, “And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” We would look first at the words, “Mighty God.” He is “Mighty God,” so what we find out here is that the coming of Jesus Christ, this Messiah that the Jews anticipated and prophecy about here is God. There is no question about that. The Old Testament understood that and prophesied that. He is also “the Prince of Peace,” so this kingdom that He is establishing as Mighty God is also established by He who is the Prince of Peace . . .
We close out our series on biblical worldview today. We are looking at the end times and how our present life and how we live now is shaped by how we see the future. Do we have a biblical worldview of the future? We are looking today at the future for the believer. What is in front of us as followers of Christ? What does God have planned for us?
In 1 Thessalonians 4, there has been some division over the complete meaning of some of this, but the overall thrust of this is crystal clear and undebatable. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 says, “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” That closing verse to “comfort one another with these words” is extremely pertinent. When we know that the day is coming, and that Jesus Christ is returning to take us to be with Himself and to be with Him forever in His presence, that shapes our lives. That shapes our hope. That shapes our view of the future. The Lord is coming for us! We will one day be with Him, and we will be with Him forever. He wants to be with us. That is how much He loves us. How comforting is that? I don’t know how you could find any more comforting words than that.
We are given a glimpse of what that looks like. 1 Thessalonians 4 simply tells us that we will be with our Savior in eternity. Revelation 21:3-7 gives us a bit of a glimpse of what that life looks like. I think it is so wonderful that it is very difficult for even the apostle, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to describe this in a way that we would understand. We read these words in Revelation 21:3, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them.’” We find first that the Lord will be with us. He will be our tabernacle. We will be with Him. We find here that the Lord is creating a new heaven and a new earth. On that new earth we will dwell with Him there forever, and He will be the one that we point all of our attention and worship toward . . .
As we bring this series on biblical worldview to a close, we are spending the last couple broadcasts looking at our worldview on end times. We have already seen how the view we take regarding the future and things concluding in this life and beginning a new life determines everything about how we live now. No more important issue could possibly be faced in the eternal destiny of humanity. In the Scriptures, we are going to look at two basic destinies that await all human beings. We have seen in Hebrews 9:27 that Scripture tells us, “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.” What happens at that judgment is determined by our relationship with Jesus Christ.
For those who do not know Christ, we are reminded in Hebrews 10:31 that it is terrifying. It says, “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Everyone who is not a believer. Everyone who has resisted Christ should take that verse very seriously. It is a fearful and terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. If God lives and exists and He is the holy God of Scripture who demands the righteousness that we cannot provide for ourselves and that can only be found in Christ, and if we have resisted that righteousness, we will one day face a terrifying prospect of being in the presence of God and being judged by Him.
When we think about that, it is very sobering, isn’t it? I think of Revelation 20. There is probably no more fearful passage in the Word of God than Revelation 20:11-15 that details for us the eternal destiny of the lost. For the unbeliever, this should be a terrifying thing to consider what they face because they have rejected Christ. For the Christian, we will shun this passage sometimes. We hate this passage in one way because we don’t want to see our loved ones and friends and people that so desperately need Christ and have rejected Him facing eternal judgment. This is a passage of Scripture that we do not gravitate toward. However, we know it is in God’s Word and part of His revelation, so we know it is perfect in the will of God, yet it is a fearful thing to consider.
What is the eternal destiny of the lost? In Revelation 20:11-12, it says, “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sits upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. Then I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.” We have this judgment that these unsaved individuals are judged based upon how they lived their lives. There is a degree of punishment, we might say, in hell . . .
If we see the end of time as God portrays it in Scripture, it shapes the way we think and the way we live now. We have looked at some of that. Last time we looked at the creation itself and how that is going to be changed. Today, I want to shift direction and look at ourselves and how we are facing the end times. What is God’s plan? He plans for a new heaven and a new earth in which righteousness dwells and in which we will also dwell.
In Romans 8:19, it says, “For the anxious longing of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.” In this picture we see that the creation is going to be changed and redeemed at the same time as the sons of God are redeemed. In that sense, there is a connection between our final redemption and the final redemption of the planet and creation.
In Romans 8:25, it says, “But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we eagerly wait for it.” He is saying here that we have a great hope. That hope is not yet seen, that is what hope is all about. You don’t have hope if you already see it and have it. So, we have hope and that hope rests in what the Lord is going to do with us in the future. If we are invested in thinking that we are going to live this life forever, which is a ridiculous thing to believe, but if we believe that and that idea that we are going to just live forever, then that shapes how we live. Eventually though, we figure the truth out that we do not live in this life forever and we know we need something new in the future.
In 1 Corinthians 15 we are told what life is like for the believer in the future. Many passages of Scripture deal with this, but none probably as well as 1 Corinthians 15:51-57. It talks about our new redemptive body. Our new creation in eternity. What will we look like? What will we be like when we go to be with Him? That is important for the understanding of the end times. 1 Corinthians 15:51 says, “Behold, I tell you a mystery: we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed.” Mystery in the New Testament is basically a secret that needed to be revealed. We would never know this unless God revealed it to us, and He is revealing some new information to us at this point in 1 Corinthians.
Here is what He is revealing to us: 1 Corinthians 15:52, “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed.” There is going to come a point in time in which the Lord is going to change us. He is talking about believers here in 1 Corinthians. God is going to raise us in incorruptibility. Us being those who are born in sin. Those whose bodies were feeble. Those who died and have been battling with sin their entire lives. Our bodies have had the effects of sin and will all be changed . . .
We continue today discussing the end times. The biblical worldview about how this world ends and how we come to death and what follows determines how we live right now. This biblical worldview of the end times as God has portrayed in His Scriptures is extremely important for living life now.
We are looking today at the issue of the creation itself. We live in a planet, a universe created by Almighty God. In the beginning God created all these things and we know it was very good when He created these things, and we find that in Scripture in Genesis 1 & 2. We also know that if we follow the biblical worldview that because of sin, initially Adam and Eve’s sin, corruption and pollution of sin has now laced everything in this creation and because of that we live in a world that is permeated with sin, wrongdoings, ugly things, awful things, and tough things. That is true even in our created universe. We live in a beautiful universe, there is so much to love and appreciate and adore, yet it does not take very long for us to realize that the world itself is laced with corruption.
What is going to happen to this created world? I am a firm believer that we should take care of this planet the very best we can. We are stewards of this planet. It is God’s creation, and we should not abuse it, we should take care of it. However, we need to realize we are not going to fix all the issues of corruption in creation. That is God’s prerogative. We find in Romans 8:19-20, “For the anxious longing of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope.” The creation didn’t want to crumble, it did not want to be laced with sin, but it has been. Romans 8:21-22 continues, “that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption and to the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.” He is using a metaphorical picture, seeing the world as if it was a live thing such as we are, but what He is saying is that the world itself groans and is looking forward to something new. A new creation. It is looking forward to its redemption in that sense and being set free from the pollution and corruption of sin. We should, as I have said before, do the best we can with this planet, but you and I are never going to set the world free from these things. We can improve some things, but as we look around and find so many things out of our hands. This is by God’s design because of sin. These awful things never happened until sin invaded our universe. Until things change and the Lord comes back and redeems this creation, we will be faced with these things . . .
We are now looking at the end times. This will be the final topic in our biblical worldview study. The way we live presently, our view life now, and how we live is determined to a large degree on what we believe will happen in the future. What does the future look like? The Scripture talks about that a great deal. We are going to spend these next five sessions looking at the end times and what it means to see what is happening in the future.
We start with the fact that we are all going to pass away some day. We are going to die. Scripture verifies that. Life verifies that. So, as we think about that, there are various ways that the future is viewed.
Here are many of the ways the future is viewed throughout the planet:
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You Only Live Once View. Many people believe we simply cease to exist. We no longer are. We go back to the ground that we came from. If you believe that, then your whole life is wrapped around the pleasures of the moment. Their goal is to see what they can get out of this life now because there is nothing later. The old commercial, “You only go around once in life, so grab for all the gusto you can get,” is basically the worldview of a huge number of people, especially American people.
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Reincarnation View. This is not as prevalent in our country, but throughout much of the world it is. It is the idea that we cannot stand the thought that this world ceases, or we cease. We are going to come back, but we are going to come back in a different form. If we are good, we will come back in a better form. If we are bad, we will come back in an inferior form. Maybe if we are bad, we will come back as a bug or something. That is the idea of reincarnation, we come back over and over and over and over.
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Universal Absorption View. Buddhists and some others believe this concept. We simply become part of a universal glob. We do not have individualism. We do have a future in this big mass of the universe, whatever that is. You hear a lot now about people talking about the universe wants you to do this or the universe acts this or that way. That is the kind of worldview those people have.
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Face-to-face with the devil. Some people believe they will go out of this life, and they will meet the devil or some evil force of some kind. If you believe that, you live in fear all your life of what will happen after death.
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Face-to-face with some form of God. Some people believe they will go out of this life and meet some form of God. For example, He might be a “grandfather.” A benevolent old man who really doesn’t care how we live and will give us a pass on anything we have ever done anyway, so why worry about how we live now.
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Face-to-face with a good god. Some believe they will run into a good god, but he is a god who is angry. It is a god of judgmentalism. He is looking for ways to discipline us and punish us. They are fearful of one day standing before a god who will do that to them.
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Face-to-face with the Holy God of Scripture. The biblical worldview is that we will stand before a holy God of love. Someday we will all stand before Him as the one that we love and the One that loves us. The One who loves us so much He sent His only begotten Son to die for us so that we could live forever, eternally with Him. That is the God of Scripture and if that is our view of God that will shape and determine every aspect of our lives. We serve a holy, loving, and gracious God who does not look the other way from our issues and our sins but deals with them properly and wholly and with wisdom. Nevertheless, He is the God that loves us so much that He wants us to spend eternity with Him . . .
We are looking one last time at the spirit world as we think about a biblical worldview. There are spirits. However, there are two extremes we want to avoid when it comes to spirits and the spirit world:
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Spirits do not exist. Throughout the world, most people would not question the concept that spirits exist. They believe in spirits, they fear spirits, they do no understand spirits, but they believe in them. Especially in our western culture society, we sometimes act as if there is nothing but the material and physical. Scripture clearly says otherwise. There are angels and demons. They do exist, so one extreme is to say they do not exist at all.
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Angels are everywhere doing everything. The other extreme is that they are everywhere and doing everything so that under every rock you see an angel, and in some cases, when people get into this, they claim to see angels here and there and angel feathers are falling on their heads at church and other nonsense like that. That is the other extreme.
When we come to the Scriptures, we get a pretty good look at what angels are about and what they do. We find that angels are mentioned about 300 times in the Bible scattered about thirty to forty different books. Over half of the books in Scripture mention angels. Some more than others. That is a lot of references to angels, so we know they exist.
The word angel means messenger. Therefore, we know one of the primary things that angels do is they give messages. They are proclaimers. The Lord is sending them with a message from Himself to humanity. That is one of the things that they do. One of the main messages proclaimed concerns the Law. They were involved in delivering the Law to the Jewish people. We read Gabriel coming with a message and other angels showing up throughout the Old and New Testament bringing messages from God to people. That is one of the things they do outside of worshiping the Lord.
We find they are powerful. In some cases, the Lord sent angels to the earth to be in combat and to destroy people that have resisted Him. So, they are very involved in many things . . .
We are continuing our study of the spirit world as we focus on our biblical worldview. The fact is there are spirits that are demonic and want to inflict harm on people and want to blind them to the truth of the gospel. They want to tempt us into sin to cause us to be devoured and destroyed. All of these things are part of the demonic spirit world, and we must be aware of that. We are going to switch directions and look at the good angels and spirit beings that God has created to serve Him and to serve us. We will just get a little glimpse of who they are and what they are doing. In general, we know that God has created a host of angels. They are not a race of angels. They are not like people. They don’t reproduce and have other baby angels. They do not marry. There is a host, a set amount, of angels. There will not be any more or any less. So, this is His host that serves Him.
We find many of these angels worship the Lord in Scripture. We find for example the cherubim in Ezekiel 1. It is a very interesting chapter. There, these cherubim are defending the holiness of God. We look at cherubs, these pictures of these chubby little angels, and we think how cute they are, but in reality; these are fierce and powerful creations of God that if you saw one in real life, you would be petrified. They are not these little cute cherubs. We have changed that around in our portrayal of angels, but cherubim defend the holiness of God.
The seraphim we find in a couple places, especially Isaiah 6. You may recall that Isaiah is in the temple, and he sees the holiness of God and the seraphim flying about crying out, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts.” We find seraphim worshiping the Lord. Every time we see them in Scripture, we see them worshiping God. They may do other things, but they are worshipers of God for God is worthy to be worshipped.
We find there is a hierarchy of angels apparently. Michael, who is one of only two angels in Scripture that we know by name, the other being Gabriel, Michael is the archangel. Archangel implies he is the head of the angels. We find him on several occasions in Scripture. We find him in Daniel 12, for example, involved with the defending of Israel and the resurrection of the Old Testament saints. We find him in Revelation 12 battling the devil. He is the leader of the angelic host as far as we know. Gabriel himself, seems to be a messenger angel. He is sent in Scripture to herald the coming of Christ and the coming of John the Baptist. He is sent by God to bring messages to us. Other angels do other things, but they are not given a name . . .
We continue our look at the demonic, evil spirit world. Satan, of course, is the king of those spirits, but he has many demons who follow him and do his bidding. What do they actually do? What is their primary goal? What are they after? As I said yesterday, they primarily are not trying to inhabit bodies. They can do that, at least in the gospels they did that, and we assume they can do that now. That is pretty limited however, what does it matter if you inhabit the body of one individual or two? Satan is after bigger things that that. He wants to deceive, and he wants to deceive the whole world. We want to break down his deceptions to the unbeliever and then his deceptions in relation to the believers.
2 Corinthians 4:4, concerns the unbeliever that Satan wants to blind to God’s truth and His gospel, it says, “in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” Primarily, what Satan is after here with the unbeliever is that he wants to keep them blind to the things of God. So, he has blinded the minds of the unbelievers. Why? So that they cannot see the light of the gospel, the glory of Christ which is the image of God. In other words, because they are spiritually blind, they can never see the glory of Christ. They can never understand the greatness and awesomeness of God. They can never see the real need for the gospel and salvation. Because of this spiritual blindness on their part, they do not turn to the Lord. They don’t see that need. They are totally oblivious to that. That is Satan’s work. That is what he works to accomplish night and day – to keep the unbeliever from understanding the things of God. If they would actually have a glimpse of the glory of Christ and the wonder of the Lord, the Lord would change them and save them, but they do not. Only the Lord can remove those blinders. If we look at 2 Corinthians 3:18, it says, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” In other words, when we actually see the glory of Christ, then we are transformed. That is what Satan doesn’t want the unbelievers to see . . .
As we continue looking at the issue of spirit beings, we are spending the first few sessions discussing the evil spirits, which are often called demons or demonic beings. Then we will spend a couple sessions focusing on the good spirit beings that we call angels.
We are so glad the Lord has transferred us, as believers, out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of His Son. So, in some sense, we are untouchable. The demonic creatures only have so much they can do to us. In I John 4:4 it says, “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” That tells me, along with another passage of Scripture, that demons cannot inhabit the body of a Christian. We know, in the gospels especially, and a little bit in Acts that there is such a thing as demonic creatures who can inhabit the bodies of people. We find those that are known as demon possessed or demonized. They are primarily at the time of Christ. Many believe that the devil pulled out all the stops doing anything he could to throw Jesus off the track of going to the cross and dying for us. Whatever that is, that is primarily where we hear about demon possession and then a few occasions in the book of Acts, and then that pretty much disappears from the pages of Scripture.
Can demons possess people today? Probably so, but if so, it would be unsaved people, not God’s people. If you are a Christian, you need to never fear that Satan could inhabit you and possess you. That is a great comfort, “Greater is He that is in us than he who is in the world.” The Holy Spirit that is within us is not going to take up residence with Satan, you can rest in that. Nevertheless, Satan can influence us, and his demons can influence us. Ephesians 6:12 tells us, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” We were in that verse last time, but this time we are going to back up to the first part and notice that we do have a struggle against demonic creatures. Our primary enemy in this world is not evil people, it is not the world systems, those are things Satan uses. Our primary enemy is Satan and his demons who we struggle against, and Paul wants to make that very clear to us. We are fighting against these “forces of darkness in heavenly places.” There is a real struggle . . .
Once we have completed this study on biblical worldview in a few weeks, we will not have exhausted the subject, but we will have made some great progress. I’d like to turn our focus to the spirit world. I am amazed at how much interest the secular world has in the spirit world. It is virtually everywhere you turn. Harry Potter books are some of the most popular, Lord of the Rings, and Chronicles of Narnia as well. There are also movies and mythologies and television shows and ghost-type stories. The world seems very interested in the spirit world, at the same time, for the most part, it denies the true spirit world of Scripture and the Great Spirit of Jesus Christ and the Trinity of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
As we look at that and think about that, we recognize that these interests in the spirit world that we see in books and movies are fantasy. These are things people make up, they are imaginary, they are fun, I suppose, and people love them. Disney brings this fantasy world to children’s shows and there are more serious shows and movies for the more mature and older audience. People enjoy them, but it is pure fantasy.
The only source of authentic teaching about the spirit world is found in Scriptures. We are only given a glimpse about what is going on in the spirit world. We want to pick up that glimpse and see some of the things that the Bible says about that.
One of the things we would mention is that the spirits and the spirit world do exist. There are creatures that God has created that are spirits. They do not have bodies. They do not procreate. They do not die. They are normally unseen. They are spirits. They could be among us or around us at any given time and we would not know it. That is what the Scripture teaches about the Spirit world.
In Ephesians 6:12, it says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” The Greek word used here was just heavenlies, but most translations say heavenly places. The spirit realm is where the spirit beings live. There are both good spirits, such as angels, and evil spirits, such as the demonic creatures. All of them inhabit the spiritual realm of the heavenlies. They seem to have the ability to roam the earth. To come down upon the earth and do things among us. Some of those spirit beings can take on physical shapes and we find that in the case of Satan, for example, and we find it with the good angels that the Lord allows them to take on human form. In that sense, they do not have human form or bodies, but they can take on those forms on occasion as well. Their home seems to be in the heavenlies, that is where they reside, although they can come to the earth as well . . .
Today we are finishing our discussion about the church. The church is God’s idea. It is not something created by human beings, but it is a plan of God for His purposes.
I am reminded of 1 Timothy 3:15 that says, “but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.” The job of the church, the quest of the church is to support and uplift and proclaim the truth of God. When we come to Ephesians 4, and we see the mechanism of how that works and how God planned that out. In Ephesians 4:11, it says, “And He Himself gave some as apostles and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers.” In other words, He gave the church these gifted individuals. He gifted them and set them apart and He has sent them out to do a work in the church of Christ. These gifted individuals are the spearhead of this task.
What happens? Why are they sent out? Ephesians 4:12 says, “for the equipping of the saints of the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.” First, for the equipping of the saints. That is vital. Everything else that is said after that goes back to the point of equipping the saints. Equipping them causing them to be able and ready and adequate to do the things that God wants them to do. So, He sends these gifted individuals to do this equipping of the saints so that they can do the work of service. However, the service of the ministry of the church is not all to be done by the staff and paid pastors and so forth. The whole body of Christ is involved in the work of service in every conceivable way, through all the giftedness that God has given us, through all the opportunities that He affords us, He equips us through the teachers and trainers of our body of Christ to do the work of service so that we can be building up the body of Christ. The body is edified, built up, and it is strengthened to become what God intended it to be.
He moves on and talks about maturity in Ephesians 4:13, it says, “until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.” As we read this verse, we can summarize everything he says by saying that the Lord wants us to grow up. He wants us to be mature. He wants us to handle life in a way that exemplifies to Christ who is in us. The teaching of His word equips us to be that kind of person. We have the unity of the faith. We are all headed in the same direction. We are all trying to accomplish the same task. We have the fullness of the knowledge of the Son of God. We are marching together in our knowledge of Jesus Christ. We are growing up and maturing until we reach the fullness of Christ. Our end goal will not happen in this life, but it is our goal, and it is what we are aiming for: the fullness of Christ.
If we are going to have a view of the world that is Scriptural and in line with what God thinks of it, we must understand His church. He invented and created the church, Christ is the head of His own body, He has formed us the way He wanted to form us. It is God’s design and God’s will that the local body of Christians functions underneath His headship, so we have to see what the church does. We have already looked at what the church is and who it is. We have looked at its outreach in the way of evangelism as we have this crooked and perverse generation around us. In other words, the world is enveloped in sin and corruption and as we have looked at that, we see that the church is to reach out and be that lighthouse that calls people to Jesus Christ to tell them about the great gospel of the Lord.
What does a church do when it gathers?
I think the church makes a mistake in thinking that we come together to evangelize people as they come in the doors. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t give the gospel. In our church we often do give the gospel. In most services, at least a piece of the gospel is presented, sometimes a more detailed gospel is shared. The primary purpose of the church coming together as a body of Christ is not evangelism. That is to be done out in the world where people need Christ.
The primary purpose of the church is to edify the believers. We see how that functions very early in the very first church in Acts 2:42. I have gone through some of this recently with you already, but it is really good to review this great verse of Scripture. Acts 2:42 says, “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” About three thousand people were saved in Acts 2:41, and we find the church coming together for specific reasons and purposes to help build up the body of Christ.
First, they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teachings. That means the apostles were now teaching not only the Old Testament Scriptures, but they were also teaching the teachings of Jesus where they were sharing the teachings Jesus taught them when He was on earth. Some of these teachings we find in the gospels and others we do not. The apostles were also teaching what was being revealed to them through the Holy Spirit. So, these divine revelations that God gave His apostles is what the early church focused on. They were being taught the apostles teachings so that they might be the kind of people that God wanted them to be . . .
We are looking at how God views the church, the importance of the church, the role we play in the church and so forth because this is how God has designed this time, this age, in which the church is vitally important in the work of God. We must understand that to understand how God thinks and for us to have a biblical worldview.
We saw a little bit as to who and what the church is last time. However, what is the church to do? I don’t think we can improve much over Acts 2:38 where we have Peter preaching the first sermon in the church age, we call that the Day of Pentecost, as he is proclaiming to the Jewish people their need for a Savior and what they have done to Christ in the crucifixion of the Lord. He preaches a very powerful sermon filled with Old Testament Scriptures and so forth. When he is done, we come to Acts 2:37 and many of the people there are convicted by the Holy Spirit to turn to the Lord, but they don’t know what to do and so they ask Peter what they should do. He answers them in Acts 2:38 where it says, “And Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Peter made it pretty clear: 1) repent, 2) turn from your sinfulness and turn to the Lord, and 3) he says to be baptized. He says to be baptized not to be saved, but to show people that you are saved. Then he says that “you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” So, God’s Spirit would enter in and be within them. That is the first thing we see.
So, the local church then is involved in evangelism. In Acts 2:41, it says, “So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers.” We find in Acts 2:41 that they are reaching out to people around them who need Christ. It says in Acts 2:40 as he speaks to them, he is witnessing to them and he exhorts them, it says, “And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, ‘Be saved from this perverse generation!’” So, what do these people need? Peter said that you need to be saved, or rescued, from what is called a “perverse generation.” Now this is not just talking about the Jewish people. Later in the book of Philippians 2:15, we have a very similar thing as Paul is speaking on this subject and he calls the generation of the world around us a “crooked and perverse generation.” Not only crooked, but perverse. So, we have a world system that is out of alignment with God. They are not walking with God. They are polluted by sin. They are corrupted by sin, and that is where the unsaved person is. To have a biblical worldview from the perspective of the church of God’s people is to understand that the world around us is filled with corruption and the people living in the world are corrupted by sin. That is of course taught throughout all of the New Testament . . .
We are going to look at the church for the next few days. Somebody might ask: What does the church have to do with a biblical worldview? It has a lot of things to do with the biblical worldview because a biblical worldview is simply thinking as God thinks. How does God think? When we come to the New Testament, the Lord puts a lot of premium on the church. The church is a vital part of the Christian life. There is no one in the New Testament that was not a part of a body of Christ. Much of the revelation in the New Testament would be inconceivable without the understanding of a local church and then there is a great deal of instruction on how to run the local church. The church is very important to God and therefore should be very important to us if we are Christians. I want to talk about that just a little bit for the next few days.
The Lord has given us three basic institutions in this world. We have the government to run our society and take care of various laws and protections and so forth. The Lord instituted that. Secondly, we have the family itself. We have our unit of people in our family and that is where we have our domestic life. Finally, we have the institution of the church which is the family of God which is the coming together of God’s people. We see that universally the church is all Christians of all times. That would be the universal church, but most of the revelation of Scripture has to do with the local church and how the local church is to function. It is very important in how we think about life and how we function.
We are talking about the church, the word ecclesia in the Greek is a word that is translated church in the New Testament. It means a called-out group of people. It can be used of other groups of people, like some kind of an assembly of some sort, but when used in the context of the people of God, it speaks of a local church, of people coming together, a called-out group of people that know Christ as their Savior who have come together for various reasons.
There are a number of metaphors in the New Testament dealing with the church that helps us get a handle on the understanding of what God wants it to be and how God understands it. The church for example is called the bride of Christ. We see a very intimate relationship between God and His people. It is also called the flock of God. So, we see this picture of the Lord being our Shepherd and guiding and protecting His flock, His people.
It is also called the temple. So, we are a sanctuary. The church in essence has God within us and among us. We are the sanctuary, the very temple of God.
Probably the most important metaphor is that of the body. The church is a body of Christ. It is the coming together of this body. Colossians 1:18 says that Christ is the head of the church, “And He is the head of the body, the church, Who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.” He is the head in this particular metaphor. The members of the church, God’s people, constitute the body of the church . . .
We are concluding our quick look at the Holy Spirit. We have been discussing how to develop a biblical worldview to understand life from God’s perspective. To do that, we must understand God. We have looked together at the Holy Spirit and who He is and His ministry to us. We are looking at one more thing today and that is what we will call the “filling of the Holy Spirit.”
In Ephesians 5:18, it says, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit.” The other ministries of the Holy Spirit we have already looked at like regeneration, indwelling, baptism and sealing are done for us at the moment of conversion. Things we do not necessarily experience on a cognitive or emotional level, but they do happen. They are our position in Christ. This one is a little different. It is a ministry of the Holy Spirit but notice here in the verse that it is a command. He really wasn’t talking in the context here about alcoholism or drinking, but it is a great illustration. When we drink wine or alcohol of any type, if you do so and get drunk, that alcohol now possesses you and controls much of what you say and do. It influences you greatly in all your actions and thinking and words. He is saying He doesn’t want us like that. He doesn’t want us to be people under the influence of alcohol, instead He wants us under the influence of the Holy Spirit. He says, “be filled with the Spirit.” He is using that illustration. Don’t be filled with alcohol, be filled with the Holy Spirit. The word “fill” could mean control if you realize it doesn’t mean absolute 100% control because we still have choices to make and we can make choices that are wrong and sinful even though we are now under the influence of the Holy Spirit. I take this word to mean that the Holy Spirit now powerfully influences us. Just as a drunk person is powerfully influenced by alcohol, but still makes choices, moral choices that they are responsible for, so the Christian under the powerful influence of the Holy Spirit can still make choices that do not please Him. Nevertheless, if we are filled with the Spirit, if He is influencing our lives in this powerful way, then that makes all the difference in how we live our lives.
How do you know if you are filled with the Holy Spirit or not? It is not subjective. He goes on in our context to speak of some ways that we know whether or not the Holy Spirit is in charge in our lives. In Ephesians 5:19, it says, “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord.” We have here a picture of a joy that is in our lives as a result of the Holy Spirit. He speaks of singing here. There are only a few passages in all of the New Testament that talk about the place and purpose of singing in the life of the Christian. This is one of them. We see that we are “singing to one another these psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, and we are making melody in our hearts to the Lord.” It is a joyful cry to the Lord. One who is under the influence in a powerful way of the Holy Spirit is going to have joy. They are in joy because they love Christ, and they know what Christ has done for them through the Holy Spirit . . .
We are going to look at a few more ministries of the Holy Spirit over the next couple broadcasts. These are going to overlap somewhat with our discussion of salvation because these are salvation issues. These are things the Holy Spirit does for us at the moment of salvation. These are not things that we necessarily feel or experience in that way. These are truths of things that happen in your life when you come to the Lord Jesus Christ. At the moment of conversion, certain things happen in your life, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit that are wonderful and radically changes us, but we don’t necessarily experience them in the sense of emotions or even cognitive in some ways, but they are there, and we take that from the Word of God.
One of those ministries is what we call the sealing ministries. Ephesians 1:13-14 says, “In Him, you also, after listening to the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation – having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, unto the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.” It speaks of the sealing. In Ephesians 4:30 it says, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” Twice here it mentions this ministry. What is this sealing ministry of the Holy Spirit? According to the two passages, it is a ministry that guarantees our salvation. It is God’s pledge to us that once we have come to Christ for salvation, at that moment, once you have believed, you are sealed. It is a done deal, and nothing is ever going to change that. It says, “who is given as a pledge of our inheritance.” This is sort of like a down payment. The down payment is of the nature that God has given us the Holy Spirit to absolutely guarantee that you and I, if we are saved, will never lose that salvation. It is to the redemption of God’s own possession.
The picture here is that God takes us, unsaved people, at the moment of conversion and places us in Christ. To help pain this picture, think of an envelope. He places us in Christ, and He has us in Christ in that envelope of Christ. Then He closes the flap on that envelope and then He seals us. He puts that wax seal that we all are familiar with, especially in ancient times. He puts that seal over that envelope. That seal is the Holy Spirit. He mails that envelope, so to speak, back to Himself for the day of redemption. Then on the day of our redemption when we stand before Him, we arrive safe and sound and nothing can break that seal because that seal is the Holy Spirit Himself. He is the guarantee, it’s God’s promise that there is nothing in heaven or earth, there is nothing inside of us, there is no demonic power, there is absolutely nothing that can break the seal of God once you are in Christ Jesus. It is a guarantee of our inheritance and our salvation. That is a glorious truth, isn’t it? We thank the Lord for that . . .
We continue looking at the way Christians should think as God has allowed us to do so to understand the world from the lens of God’s Word and Truth. We are looking at the Holy Spirit and one of the ministries of the Holy Spirit for us is the inspiration of Scripture. This overlaps with our look earlier at the Bible itself, but it is the ministry of the Holy Spirit to give us the revelation of God. If we didn’t have this revelation from the Holy Spirit, what we call the Bible, then you and I would have no idea what a biblical worldview was. We would be floundering and groping after gods and deities and whatever understandings we might have of these things as Paul says in Acts 17, but we really wouldn’t know because we wouldn’t have the divine Word of God. Yet, the Holy Spirit is the instrument by which we understand the ways of God. We think like God, and we can understand God. We call this inspiration. We find the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, of God’s Word. The revealing of God’s Word, the inspired text all over the Bible. There are two central passages that narrow it down for us. These are the clearest and we want to look at those today.
You are probably familiar with 2 Timothy 3:16 which says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness.” The Legacy Bible says, “God breathed.” That is the word inspired, it is breathed out by God. So, this is saying that all Scripture, not portions of it, all Scripture, Old and New Testament is breathed out by God. The only way you and I are going to know what to believe, is teaching. The only way we are going to know when we have gone astray, is reproof. The only way that we are going to know how to correct, is correction. The only way we are going to be able to grow in Christlikeness, is training for righteousness. Thisis through the means of the Scriptures inspired by God and the Holy Spirit. 2 Timothy 3:17 continues, “so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work.” So, the equipping of you and me to be the people of God that we are supposed to be is only possible through the ministry of the Word of God which has been given to us by none other than the Holy Spirit.
There is one other passage that really stands out in this regard. This passage clarifies that it is the ministry of the Holy Spirit Himself that inspires the Scriptures. It says in 2 Peter 1:19-20, “And so we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns the morning star arises in your hearts. But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture becomes a matter of someone’s own interpretation.” No Scripture is interpreted by us. No Scripture is made up by us. Even the prophets didn’t make this stuff up. Instead, it continues in 2 Peter 1:21, “for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” We find that the Scriptures are inspired by the instrument of the Holy Spirit. The member of the Trinity responsible for the inspiring of the Scriptures. The revelation that we have in our hands today is none other than the Holy Spirit. When we look at the Bible and we read it, we realize this is not the opinion of people. Even prophets and godly people or apostles, as good and helpful as those individuals might be, this is not their opinion or ideas. This is God’s, and God has communicated to us His way of thinking . . .
In our biblical worldview we are looking at the Godhead a little bit. Particularly we are looking at the Holy Spirit and what He is, who is He, and what He does? We have seen already that He is God, a person, and a member of the Trinity. We have seen His ministry to the world in general as He convicts the world in sin and righteousness and judgment. We are going to spend the next several times talking about what He does for us as believers. What is His ministry to you and me if we are Christians?
First, we are going to look at the fact that He lives in us. He indwells us. Romans 8:9 tells us that the mark of the Christian is that the Holy Spirit is in us. Therefore, if we do not have the dwelling of God within us then we are not believers. That is the ultimate mark of salvation. In 1 Corinthians 6, it explains it this way, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?” This is a marvelous verse of Scripture on several levels. The NASB version tells us that or body is a temple. The Legacy Translation says our body is a sanctuary because that is a particular speaking of the Greek word here. It is the idea of a dwelling place of God. The place where God lives. It says that we are the sanctuary of the Holy Spirit. Can you comprehend that? We are the dwelling place of God in the form of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It says, “who is in you.” He lives in us. How do we understand that? It is not a physical thing. We can’t reach in and touch Him, but He is there spiritually within our physical bodies if we are Christians and we have received that from God. You are not your own.
In 1 Corinthians 6:20 it continues, “For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” The argument is not just about the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, but what that means to us. That is that we have been purchased for God. The Holy Spirit lives in us. We belong to Him. We are not our own and therefore, our whole lives should have the purpose of glorifying God in our body. That is a wonderful take away for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. What joy! This should bring you a wonderful day in the Lord to know that God lives in you if you are a believer! . . .
Today we continue our outlook of biblical worldview as it relates to the Holy Spirit. Yesterday we saw that the Holy Spirit is a member of the Trinity. He is God. He is eternal. He has now come to this earth during this church age to do a particular ministry to this world and to us as believers. We are going to start with His role and ministry to us in the world.
John 16:8 says, “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.” He, referring to the Holy Spirit, has a ministry to the world in general. Later this week we will look at the ministry of the Holy Spirit to specifically believers. However, the Holy Spirit has a general ministry to the world, I believe here we are speaking of the unregenerate, unbelievers. The Holy Spirit has always been omnipresent. He has always been eternally in existence, and He has never not been. When Jesus speaks about Him coming, He is talking about having been sent by the Father and the Son for a particular ministry during this church age. As He talks about that, He tells us He is coming to convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgement. Three ministries that the Holy Spirit has to the world. These are pivotal in our understanding of the world system.
He continues in John 16:9, “concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me.” This verse is talking about the Holy Spirit when He convicts of sin. His ministry here is to convict people of their sinfulness. I don’t think most people believe they are sinners. Most people know they are not perfect. Most people know they do wrong things. Most people are displeased about certain aspects of their lives, but to accurately see themselves as sinners and missing the mark of God, defying Him, living in rebellion against God, and being the enemy of God does not register for most people. They think they are doing okay. Most people, if you ask them, think they are pretty good people. They do nice things for people, they take care of their family, they do the things they should do. If they believe they sin, it is something real horrible, but they don’t do that very often, so most people don’t believe that they are sinners as such. It takes the ministry of the Holy Spirit to remove the blinders from the eyes of people so that they can recognize that they are sinners. That is pivotal because no one will come to the Savior unless they recognize they need a Savior. No one recognizes they need a Savior unless they recognize they are sinners, and they are hopelessly lost in their sin . . .
What does it look like to think like God and think biblically? We continue looking at various fundamental aspects that contribute to a biblical worldview. If we are going to have a biblical worldview, we must understand what is true biblically concerning God. We have looked at the Father, we have looked at the Son, Jesus Christ, we have looked at the Scripture, and we have looked at salvation. Today I want us to look at the Holy Spirit.
In some circles the Holy Spirit is more complex and confusing and controversial to many than perhaps the other two members of the Trinity. Many people get confused about various aspects of His ministry and what He does. So, I want to take some time to look at who He is and what He does.
We will start with the fact of His personhood. Who is He? Before we can see what He does, we need to know who He is. Let’s start with the very fundamental teaching of Scriptures. The Holy Spirit is a person. He is not a force per say, He is a person, and He is a member of the Trinity itself. He is God. We find that in numerous places in Scripture and I want to look at the Great Commission.
In Matthew 28:19 it says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” I think we skip right through that verse, and we do not pause long enough to note that the word “name” is singular. It doesn’t say in the “names of” as if there are three, but it says in the “name of.” There is one God manifested in three persons in a way that is inexplicable to that. We know that we will never totally comprehend the nature of the Trinity. The One God in three persons. Nevertheless, this verse says it very clearly that there is One God, and we are baptized in the name of that One God and in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is important to note that the apostle Paul or Peter or anyone else has not been added to this list. We are not baptized in the name of a person or a church. We are baptized in the name of God and the Holy Spirit is part of that Trinity: Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.
A little later we see two individuals wanting to give money to the Lord’s works. Which was great except they were lying about how much they were giving. They didn’t have to give any, but when they did give, and they lied about what they gave it did not go well for Ananias and Sapphira. Acts 5:3 says, “But Peter said, ‘Annanias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land?’” Notice that he lied to whom? The Holy Spirit. Then in Acts 5:4 it says, “’While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.’” Notice here in Acts 5:3 it says he lied to the Holy Spirit and in Acts 5:4 in the same conversation Peter said he lied to God. So, we find a very clear teaching here that the Holy Spirit is God, He is deity. When we think about the Spirit, we think about who He is as deity . . .
We want to conclude the study of salvation by looking at the three tenses of salvation. When we come to the New Testament, sometimes salvation is put out there in the text as if it was something that has already taken place, sometimes it is something happening presently, and sometimes it is in the future. I think it confuses people sometimes if they don’t realize that all three tenses are true. Let’s look at those and assign a word to each of those for our edification.
First, justification. Let’s begin that salvation is past in the sense that there is a moment in time when we have come to Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Our past salvation, the moment of conversion, we can call justification. There is a point in time when we have been justified, we have been made right before a holy God, we have been declared righteous before Him and given the righteousness of God. That takes place at a moment in time. So, if you are a Christian, there was a moment in time when you were not saved and you were lost, then there was a moment in time when you were saved or justified. It is not important that you know that moment necessarily. I know a lot of people make a big deal about that moment and write it in the front of their Bibles. For some, if they don’t know the moment they were saved, they get pretty anxious about it. There is no necessity to do that. You might know the moment you came to Jesus Christ. That it is very crystal clear in your memory. Others, maybe not so much. It might have been over a period of time that these things became clear to you and somewhere in that process you committed your life to Jesus. It is not important that you know that moment. It is important that you know you have been saved and are justified. That is the past tense, you were saved in a moment of time.
Second, sanctification. We come to the present tense of salvation which we call sanctification. We are looking at 1 Corinthians 1:18 which says, “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” Notice the present tense there, “to us who are being saved.” Justification tells us we are already saved in a moment of time. That is done. Romans 5, if you read the context, is all about the fact that we cannot lose that salvation. Once we are saved, we are saved, and the Lord will not let us go. Here it says we are being saved, what does that mean? It means we are in a process of sanctification, progressively becoming more and more what we were saved to be. In that sense we are being saved. The Lord is working in our lives, He is moving through our lives and our hearts. He is changing us, and He is making us increasingly, ever so slowly, more and more like that Lord Jesus Christ. We call that sanctification, or progressive sanctification. This is the present tense of salvation.
Finally, we return to Romans 8:1, it says, “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” That is past tense of salvation. Once we are in Christ Jesus, there is no longer any judgment or condemnation for those who are in Christ. That is past tense, so the book of Romans 8 begins with what took place in the past, but it ends with what will take place in the future. Romans 8:30 says, “and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.” . . .
How is it that God is able to take sinful people and make them right before Him? How is it that we who are lost and dead in sin can become the very friends of God and part of the family of God and spend eternity with Him? That is a miraculous thing, isn’t it? What a wonderful gift the Lord has given us! The majority of humanity spurns and ignores and mocks salvation, yet it is the precious consideration of the child of God. We are looking at the word redemption today. I am certain I have dealt with this word before in the “Word from the Lord” broadcast, but I am going to review it again because we are talking about salvation and this issue of redemption and what that means to us is so pivotal to our lives. I trust this will be a blessing to you even if we have gone through this fairly recently already.
1 Peter 1:18 says, “knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.” We find here that our redemption is accomplished only through the “precious blood” of the lamb. “Unblemished and spotless the blood of Christ.” There is only one remedy for our sinful situation. That is the blood of Jesus Christ. This verse calls it the “precious blood of the lamb.” Christ is often called the Lamb in the Scriptures, but primarily in the book of Revelation. So, when we see it here in the book of 1 Peter, we know that Peter has something specific in mind. The lamb of God was slain for our sins that we might be redeemed.
What does it mean to be redeemed? We have looked at other words throughout this process such as justification and regeneration. What does redemption mean? We saw before in our studies of this that there were three different Greek words that were translated as “redeemed or redemption” and they all speak of different aspects of the slave market at that time. Most of these writings were written to Greek people who understood the slavery system of their day. Slaves at that time were purchased out of a slave market, but the word purchased was “redeemed.” . . .
Today we continue our discussion on the biblical worldview of salvation. A biblical worldview of salvation is pivotal. Every other worldview, every other religion, every other philosophy, if it is looking for any form of salvation from this world and our own bondage to self and sin, it looks for it in other places. It might look for it in mythological gods, our own self, or our own merits. Every other religion in the world is a merit religion. Meaning that we must merit or do something to appease the gods in animism. It also means we do something to make ourselves right even before the true God. That is what every false religion of the world is about.
Christianity teaches something very different. Christianity teaches that we are hopelessly lost in our sins and because of that, the only way we can be right before a holy God is for the Lord to step up and do something. He did that in Jesus Christ. Sending His Son to die for us in our place and offer us eternal life and forgiveness of sin and righteousness of Himself. We are going to look at the word substitution today. This is a word, I think in past generations, was very prominent in the church. The conservative church talked a lot about substitution and Jesus Christ dying for us and in our place. Somehow, I think sometimes that gets lost in our conversation. We forget, or we just brush over this issue that the Lord couldn’t simply forgive our sins and be a holy and righteous God, but that something or someone or some process had to redeem us from sin, and it had to deal with our sin and had to take our sins. That became the task of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself when He died in our place.
When He died in our place, what did He do? He died as our substitute. Our sin and the wrath of God was on us, so what replaces that? Who is going to take that burden off of us? Christ did! He died in our place, and He died as our substitute. That was necessary for our salvation. There are many, many places in the Scriptures that talk about His substitution, but I think the clearest and best is actually in the Old Testament.
Isaiah 53 speaks about what Christ did for us in dying in our place. We are going to look specifically at Isaiah 53:4-6, it says, “Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him Stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.” How clear is that? This is a wonderful passage that points to what He has done for us. He died for our transgression it says in Isaiah 53:5, and He was crushed for our iniquity. The Lord did nothing wrong. He deserved no punishment or death and no execution. Sin never touched Him, but He took our sins upon Himself. It all fell on Him, and He is our substitute . . .
There is nothing more important than how we can be right with God. Sometimes that is called reconciliation. We are estranged from God as we saw in the last broadcast. We are even the enemies of God. As a result of that, we are not right with God. We are separated from Him. We are not His friends. We are His enemies. How can the enemies of God be made right with Him? How can the enemies of God become friends of Him? How can we be reconciled? It involves what the Bible calls justification.
Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Justified. That word means to declare righteous. It is very important that we understand the meaning of the word. If we get the meaning of the word wrong, we will misunderstand the whole concept. Justification is not a way whereby we work for our salvation or make ourselves right with God. It is a declaration. It is a legal term. We have been declared by God as justified, set free from our sins, and made right with Him. That is the meaning of justification in this passage of Scripture.
Romans 3:24 says, “being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.” There is so much in that little verse, but justification is a gift by the grace of God. So, we are given something, we are given this justification. Someone has said it this way. “It was not God’s aim simply to release slaves, but to make sons.” I think that is a beautiful statement. I’m not sure who said it, but it is a beautiful statement. God doesn’t simply want to release us from our bondage to sin, in that we are no longer slaves to sin, He wants to do more than that. He wants to make us His very children and His sons. So, justification involves not only the forgiveness of sin, but the very righteousness of God so that we are now righteous before Him, and He looks at us through the lens of the Christ Himself and sees us as righteous in Him.
Several places in Scripture talk about this, and we want to talk about something that takes place at the moment of this justification. When He saves us from our sin, He not only saves us, but He changes us. He not only forgives us, but He makes us His sons. By making us His sons, He does not simply say that we are in His family, He makes a radical change in our lives that is a spiritual change by nature. Jesus talked about this to Nicodemus. Nicodemus was one of the great teachers of Israel and he should have known at least something about the salvation and regeneration process. The Old Testament is not nearly as clear as the New Testament, but things were there and this man was an expert in the Old Testament, but he had missed the big picture. John 3:7 says, “Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’” Most of us are familiar with the phrase “born again.” It means to be born from above. It is the idea that something is radically changed. There is a second birth. Our first birth is our physical birth where we are physically born, but this is a spiritual birth. It is a birth in which we are radically changed and now we are the children of God . . .
We are now talking about salvation. We speak about salvation, or redemption, all the time. If you are around the people of God, or if you read Scripture, or if you come to church, you know this is central to everything we believe and everything we hope in. It is very important that we see salvation from the lens of Scripture as God has revealed. It is the only possible lens because nobody could understand salvation except through what God reveals to us in the Word and what He has done for us through His Son.
Today I am looking at a beautiful passage of Scripture that talks about the fact that the Lord has done much for us to save us. What I want to look at in this passage is four words that I think are very important to understanding what the Lord has done. These four words I have circled in my Bible. If you have been following our broadcast, you know that I like to mark my Bible and circle things to remind me of what is there. This passage is very interesting because it gives a description of our condition before Christ, and before salvation. It gives four different descriptions, and these really map out our problem, and the fact that we are hopelessly lost. Let’s look at those four words together.
Romans 5:6-10, says, “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”
We begin with the word helpless. As long as we think there is something we can do to earn salvation (or even that we can do something to help the Lord save us and we can come alongside Him and help Him in that process) we will continue in our sins because the biblical teaching of salvation is that the Lord is going to save us while we are helpless. That is hard for us to handle. We are independent people. We believe we are self-sufficient and can take care of ourselves. That is the American way, right? Yet if we look in the Scriptures, we must recognize first and foremost that we are helpless.
Secondly, we are told we are ungodly. This simply means we are not like God. We do not want to do things God’s way. We want to do everything except be godly. By nature, we are ungodly. Yet at that right time, Christ died for the ungodly, which is you and me. There again, before we can actually be saved, we have to recognize our ungodliness. Not only are we helpless, but we are not like Him, and we desperately need His help . . .
For a few weeks we have been discussing what a biblical worldview looks like. that might sound intimidating to some people but really all that means is how we process life. Do we see life through the lens of Scripture as God has revealed that to us, or do we see life through the lens of the world around us, our own ideas, educational system, the philosophies of the world? Everybody has a worldview. Everybody sees the world through some lens and those who have a biblical worldview have chosen to see the world through the only true lens which is God’s Word. As we think about that and review a bit, biblical worldview begins with God and the truth that He does exist. “In the beginning was God.” He created all things, and He created humanity. So, as we think about that wonderful creation of ourselves, we know that Scripture tells us that we are made in the very image of God and that means that we were put on earth to represent God. We are made very special and unique among all of God’s creation. We were created originally without sin. There was no sinfulness in the original human beings Adam and Eve. Of course, we know all that changed when Adam and Eve chose to sin. Then sin entered into the world and thus began the pollution and corrupting process that all of us deal with every day in our own lives and in our world system. With that in mind, we have a great problem because those who were created to reflect the image of God and to represent God on earth to give Him glory can no longer do so because of their sinful condition.
We probably have looked at Ephesians 2:1-3 before. It says, “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.” The Scriptures paint a very dismal picture of our spiritual condition. We are hopelessly lost and dead in sin and the question might arise: What can we do about that? The answer in Scripture according to a biblical worldview is that we can do absolutely nothing! There is not a thing we can do to change our spiritual condition and bring ourselves into a position where we are right with God. That would be determined by God Himself. God had to do something otherwise we would remain in our sinfulness.
So, Ephesians 2:4-6 simply says, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” So, we find that God did something and that something was to send His beloved Son to earth to die for us and all because of His grace and His mercy.
Ephesians 2:7 goes on to say this, “so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” Often, we kind of skip this verse. One of the reasons the Lord reaches out to save us is that in the ages to come, that is throughout all of eternity, His grace might be put on display. That display of grace is found primarily in what He has done for us through Jesus Christ by reaching out in His kindness and mercy toward us . . .
We are spending one more day looking at the biblical worldview of Jesus Christ. We will look at what He is doing right now today. We have already looked at what He has done eternally. He has always been God. We saw the incarnation. He came to the earth at a moment in time and took on human flesh and nature and lived among us a perfect life, nevertheless He lived among us. We saw that He went to the cross and died on our behalf dying for our sins. We have seen that He also resurrected from the dead and death could not hold Him. What is He doing right now?
First, He is ascended. Acts 1:9, “And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.’” The first thing we find out is that Jesus is no longer on earth. As a matter of fact, He has never been back to earth since that time in a physical form. He was seen in visions: Paul saw Him in a vision, John saw Him in a vision, but He doesn’t come back and live on earth. He is coming again sometime, we will look at that in the future, but right now He is ascended, and He has gone to be with the Father. He has left this earth and He is gone at this time.
We find that as He has ascended, He has gone to the right hand of the Father. Acts 2:33 says, “Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirt, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear.” When He ascended, He ascended to the Father, and He is at the right hand of the Father. He is on the throne of God and when He went there, He then turned around shortly thereafter, and He and the Father sent the Holy Spirit to earth to indwell His people in the church. We find that happening in Acts 2. At the right hand of God (the position of power and the position of the Throne Room) He ascended, and He sits there today until He comes again.
What is He doing there? In Hebrews 7:25 it says, “Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” The fact that Jesus Christ is alive. The fact that He has ascended and is at the right hand of the Father does wonderful things for us. He lives now so that those who draw near to God draw near to God through Him. It is not possible for sinful human beings to come directly into the presence of a holy God. They must come through a mediator and that mediator is Jesus Christ. It says that He always lives to make intercession for them. So, Christ is alive. He is alive forever and eternally and He “makes intercession for them”, or us, so that we are able to come into the presence of God because of the ministry of Jesus Christ right now at the right hand of the Father . . .
We have been working through the issue of the biblical worldview of Jesus Christ for the last several days and understanding who Christ is. It is absolutely pivotal to everything that we know and believe and live as Christians in this world. He is the watershed issue. Those who receive Him and trust in Him will have eternal life. Those that reject Him will have eternal judgment, so there is nothing more important than who Jesus Christ is and what He has done and what He is going to do.
We have seen that He is God in John 1 and other places. We have seen that He has become man in the incarnation. We have seen that He has died for us on the cross of Calvary and took upon Himself our sins dying on our behalf so that we can have the righteousness of God. Without the cross, it is impossible to be right with God. Now we will look at the resurrection. We do not, in our biblical worldview of Jesus, leave Him on the cross. He did go to the cross, He died on the cross at a point in time, but He is not on the cross today. So, when they took Him down from the cross and buried Him, three days later, He was resurrected from the dead. All four gospel accounts talk about the resurrection in one degree or another. Then when the apostles received the power of the Holy Spirit to go out and be witnesses for Christ, their message did not center just on the cross but also the resurrection. Everywhere they went they spoke about the resurrection of Jesus Christ. That was both a pivotal and important message, and a message that caused many other people who wanted to reject Christ to get very angry.
In Acts 2, we see an interesting verse that puts together the plan of God and the guilt of man. Acts 2:23 says, “this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.” “This Man,” is speaking of Christ. God had planned all along, as we also see in the Old Testament, we have many records and prophecy that Christ would die in our place. Isaiah 53 is the central passage to this. Act 2:23 said that “this Man was delivered over by God through a predetermined plan and foreknowledge.” This was not an accident. God had planned this.
Acts 2:24 continues, “But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.” These Jewish leaders and the Jews that follow Him did in fact crucify Christ. They are held accountable for that. They are guilty of doing that, but the Lord resurrected Christ from the dead. Because it is impossible for death to hold Him in its power. This is one of the central pieces of the resurrection. The resurrection is the authenticity of who Jesus Christ is. That He is God, and He is Savior. He is the great Godman, perfect Savior for us. Death could not hold Him because He was God. The resurrection proved that. It is God’s stamp of approval that all that He did met His approval. There is also the verification that He is all He claimed to be. We find that final proof of His deity . . .
We are continuing to examine biblical worldview. Biblical worldview encapsulates many things that are extremely important and it’s important that we understand those things. The most important of all those things in many ways is Jesus Christ Himself. You cannot have a biblical worldview if you do not have a worldview concerning Christ that is accurate to the teachings of the Word of God. We have looked at Christ who is God and we have looked at Christ who came as man, the Godman. Now we are going to look at Christ crucified. When we think of Jesus Christ we often think of the cross because they are so connected with one another.
What did Christ do for us concerning the cross? There is so much in the New Testament and even the Old Testament about this. I want to look at 2 Corinthians 5:21 with you, it says, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” The reason Jesus Christ came was to be our Savior. He came and He knew no sin. First, all of those years living on earth from the day of His incarnation to the day of His death, there was no sin in Him. He lived the perfect life. The life that no one else has ever lived. He was the second Adam in a sense. Adam was created in such a way that he had no sin in him, but he fell. When he fell, he became a sinner. Jesus Christ never fell, and He never sinned. So, He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf. He became sin for us. He took upon Himself our sin and became sin on our behalf, for us, not for Himself, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Salvation is not possible apart from the work on the cross of what Jesus Christ has done for us.
I really enjoy looking at Romans 5 in its entirety when I think about this, but let’s look at Romans 5:7-8, “For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” What a beautiful picture. While we were sinners, while we deserved absolutely nothing from Him and have done nothing to merit anything from Him, He died for us.
Romans 5:9 continues, “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.” Now that we have been saved by Jesus Christ, we have been made justified and righteous by His blood. We are also saved from the wrath of God. This is the case that God’s judgment and righteous wrath is poured out on those who reject Him, but because of Jesus Christ and His blood, we are saved, if we are Christians, from the wrath of God . . .
We are looking at Jesus Christ as we continue looking at biblical worldview because He is central to anything about a biblical worldview. We saw last time that Jesus Christ is God. He has always been, He is eternal, He is holy, He is a member of the Godhead – we often call Him the second person of the Godhead. He is truly God.
We now move to the incarnation where Jesus Christ becomes man and comes to this earth. It is November and we are getting fairly close to Christmas, probably everyone’s favorite season and holiday. However, it is more than a holiday. It is a remembrance of what happened at a time when God became man. When Jesus Christ came among us. That is what we celebrate at Christmas. At least that is what we are supposed to celebrate if we don’t get lost in all the trimmings.
We are looking at John 1:9, “There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.” We saw that last time. He is the Light of the world, and He comes to bring that light. John 1:10 says, “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.” This is referring to His own people, probably speaking of the Jewish people. The gospel record is that most people did not receive Jesus Christ. Most Jews rejected Him. He came to His own though they did not receive Him.
In John 1:12 it says, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,” this is a great verse that I turn to often when I am talking to people about their need for Christ. What do we need to know and believe in order to become followers of Christ in order to be saved? This verse says it pretty well. “As many as have received Him” – those who have accepted Him and not simply believed about Him or had some theological themes they understood, but they actually received Him into themselves, “He gave the right,” it says, “to become the children of God.” Now we are the children of God. We are no longer the children of the devil. We are no longer of the world. We are children of God. Then it qualifies it by saying, “even those who believe in His name.” The word belief or believe is found frequently in the gospel of John. It’s an evangelistic gospel and it is telling people that if they want to know God, they have to believe in the name of Jesus Christ. Christ came as the incarnation that we might believe in Him.
We go to John 1:14 where it says, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” The word that was mentioned in John 1:1 has now become flesh. This is the incarnation. The God of the universe, the Creator of all things has now taken on a physical form and the nature of humans, although a sinless nature. We beheld the glory of God through Jesus Christ. So, the world most perfectly sees God through what they see in Jesus Christ which is found in the Scriptures as we study them.
We continue looking at various issues that are integral to thinking biblically. There is nothing more central to the way we think as Christians than how we think about Jesus Christ. Christ is part of everything we do, a part of every aspect of our faith, and it is even in our name “Christian,” meaning Christ-like. We are followers of Jesus Christ. He permeates the Word of God. He permeates our lives. We must think biblically about Jesus Christ. The only thing we really know about Christ is what is found in Scriptures. These traditions and all these kinds of things you might see on the history channel are largely legends, myths, and fabrications. What we know about Jesus Christ is found on the pages of holy Scripture. We turn to the Word of God to look at some aspects of His life. I want to look over five different central features concerning Jesus Christ. First, foundationally, is that Jesus Christ is God.
John 1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” This is kind of a poetic way of speaking, I suppose. Yet, as we look at it, it is profoundly edifying and truthful. We see here that the “Word” here is the Greek word logos. As we go throughout the context of the passage, it is identifying Jesus Christ. There is no question about that. It says that He was with God, and He was God. That tells us two things. First, our understanding of the Godhead is that there is one God but in Trinitarian form. We have talked about that before and that is also central to our biblical worldview. Jesus Christ is a member of the Trinity. Usually, we call Him the second person of the Trinity, but He also was God. So, He is fully deity, and He has always been with God. Eternal.
Then it says in John 1:3, “All things came into being through Him, and apart from him nothing came into being that has come into being.” When we go back to Genesis 1, we learn that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and now we are informed in John that Jesus Christ was the instrumentality of that creation. So, God did create the heavens and the earth and Jesus Christ was the means by which that creation came about.
In John 1:4 it says, “In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.” We find here that Christ, as He came to be among us, was not only God, and not only Creator, and not only a member of the Trinity, but He also has come to give life. He is “the way, the truth, and the life” He tells us in John 14. He is the One who is the essence of life. He is the One who is the giver of life and apart from Jesus Christ, there is no true life. We are speaking here primarily of the spiritual aspect of life. We are told in Ephesians 2 that we are born dead in our trespasses and sins. Spiritually speaking, we are dead when it comes to our spiritual life. We are separated from God. We are dead. Yet, Jesus Christ is the One who gives life. He is the life, and He has come to give life.
We are taking one more day looking at the biblical worldview concerning humanity. This is going to be a good one! The last several times we have looked at the fallenness of humanity and the consequences of sin. Now let’s look at the remedy of our sin. That is the good news of the Scriptures of what we call: the gospel.
In Ephesians 1:7 it says, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.” Him refers to Jesus Christ. Here in a nutshell is the gospel message. We who are lost in sin, polluted, tainted, and corrupted by sin, all of us, have the privilege of being able to be saved by the blood of Jesus Christ.
What is the great need of humanity when we think about human nature? The greatest need is forgiveness and redemption. We need to be set free from our own sinfulness, and corruption in human nature. That can only be brought about because of what Jesus Christ has done to bring about redemption in our lives.
In 2 Corinthians 5:21 it says, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Not only do we have the forgiveness of sin, but we have been given the righteousness of God because of Jesus Christ. He is talking about Christians, believers, here. All who do not know Christ as their Savior are in great trouble when it comes to sin. They are still in bondage, corruption, pollution and are still lost in sin.
In Romans 6:23 it says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” We deserve what our wages are for sin which is death. We have seen that all along, all the way back to Genesis 3 where we saw that Adam and Eve would die and return to dust. The wages of sin, what we deserve for being sinful, rebellious people is physical death, spiritual death, and eternal death. Yet it says here, the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. That is a wonderful picture, isn’t it? We have an eternal life given to us as a gift from the Lord Jesus Himself! . . .
We looked yesterday at the fallenness of humanity and how mankind fell. We looked at some of the judgments that came because of that, but there is more to it than that. There is more than simply that women will have increased pain during childbirth, conflict in marriage, and hard labor that will be necessary to provide for just our sustenance in life. There is also a really important spiritual consequence to the fallenness of humanity. That is part of our biblical worldview.
Ephesians 2 talks about this a great deal and lays it out in Ephesians 2:1-3. Perhaps this is one of the clearest passages in all of Scripture on this subject. It says in Ephesians 2:1, “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins.” First of all, we are dead in our sins. This is the nature of every human being before salvation. We are dead. Not sick, weak, or anemic. We are dead! That is a horrible place to be. We are spiritually dead before Christ. That is true of every child born into this world because of our fallen human nature.
Ephesians continues, “in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world,” before Christ those who are dead in their sins live, in a spiritual sense, in such a way that they are following the course of this world. In other words, with our theme of biblical worldview, they are following a worldview that is not in line with Scripture. It is a worldview that is in line with the world and the culture. Ephesians goes on to say more about that, “according to the prince of the power of the air.” Who is it that controls the worldview and sets the agenda for how people think and act in our culture? If not Christ, then it’s Satan. If Christ is not leading you in that regard, if you are not living in such a way that you are following His precepts or living according to His ways because He saved you and redeemed you, then you are following Satan and Satan is your God in a real sense and you are following his worldview that he has put into this system. The verse continues, “of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.” All of humanity that do not know Christ have this worldview built in them by the devil himself.
Ephesians 2:3 says, “Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.” That is a mouthful, isn’t it? Let’s break it down. All of us live life, not only according to this worldview and the world system that is led by Satan, but also by our own fallen nature which is called here, “the flesh.” The desires or the “lust of our flesh,” determine how you and I live our lives. We indulge in those lusts and desires of the flesh and of the mind. The physical outward sins. The inward sins of the mind. We are by nature children of wrath; therefore, we are under the wrath of God. We are under the judgement of God because we are dead in our sins, and we live in rebellion against Him. We really want nothing to do with Him. That is the spiritual picture that we have here.
In order to understand a biblical worldview in relation to people, we have to go back to Genesis 3. Everything goes back to Genesis. In Chapters 1 & 2 we found the special creation of humanity. Made in the image of God and specially made by the Lord Himself and given all sorts of privileges including a relationship with God Himself that was wonderful. It was a sweet and perfect fellowship with the Lord. All of that comes unglued in Genesis 3 when Adam and Eve decide to sin.
When we come to the New Testament, we find in the Scriptures that Adam is given the blame for the fall. Eve, as we see in the text, was the first to rebel and eat of the fruit that God had forbidden, and she gives it to her husband, and he partakes. When we come to Romans 5, we find that it is Adam who was given the responsibility for sin. He is the one who had brought about the sin and corruption on the human race because he chose at that point to rebel. It is very likely that Eve was deceived. She certainly was. She chose, but she was deceived. Adam doesn’t seem to be deceived. Adam chose, at that moment, to eat willingly of this fruit over the obedience to God and thus sinfulness entered the human race with all the ramifications that come with it.
Today we are looking again at the curse and judgment God had brought upon the human race because of this sin. We looked at the curse on Satan, but we are going to pick up now with what happens to men and women.
The judgment for humanity begins with the woman in Genesis 3:16, it says, ‘To the woman He said, “I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over you.’” We start with one of the consequences being the intensity of physical pain in childbirth. We also find that her desire will be for her husband. Most believe that is a statement regarding that there will exist, built within her now fallen human nature, a desire to rule over her husband. Yet, in the last line it says that “And he will rule over you.” In the heart and mind of the fallen nature of mankind, of males, they will desire to be a tyrant over their wives. So, we are already set up for the battles within marriage. The perfect marriage of Genesis 2 has now become this marriage where two people want to be the ruler. Not just leadership but ruling over one another. So, the battle is on, and therefore that is part of the consequence of the human nature. Two fallen sinners coming together in marriage. The Bible talks a lot about how to get around those things and fix those issues and live biblically and godly in marriage and have a happy marriage, but the battle lines are set by our sinfulness here.
We have been looking at the biblical worldview of humanity. Everything so far has been pretty positive. We are made in the image of God, we are specially created beings by the hand of God, we were created uniquely with a material nature of our physical body as well as an immaterial nature of wonderful components internally. It’s pretty good stuff. Now we are going to get very negative today. What is wrong with us? We are made in the image of God. We are special creations by the hand of God, but we are not doing well, are we? Humanity is a mess! It’s a mess inside our own hearts and lives as well. What is wrong with us?
Scriptures take us right back to Genesis 3 to what we usually simply call the “fall of humanity.” We get a picture of what happened that took two people, Adam and Eve, who were walking with God, in righteousness, perfect fellowship, and walking in a sense in that they were sinless. Now they are going to fall, and with them falls all of humanity. That must be understood to understand the biblical understanding of humanity and the situations that we are in today. We are looking at the rebellion that took place in the book of Genesis.
We start with Genesis 3:1, “Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’” The serpent said to the women, “You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.” We see the fall here. This is a very straightforward thing. There is nothing special about what happened except that they disobeyed God. In defiance of God, they did exactly what God told them not to do and that brought the element of sin into their lives and the corruption. We see in Genesis 3:7 that right away they understand guilt. Their eyes were opened, and they understand the difference now between good and evil, but they also now recognize guilt. They are now under the judgment of God because of what they have done.
In Genesis 3:8 it continues, “They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” Adam had never been afraid before and Eve had never been afraid before. They had sweet and glorious fellowship with the God of the universe until now. Now they are afraid, and they are afraid because now they are tainted with evil, and they have disobeyed God, and sin is in their life, and judgment is going to be meaded out upon them. There is good reason for them to be afraid.
We have looked at the creation, the fact that human beings are in the image of God. Today we are going to look at the immaterial nature of humans. We have already talked about the body and that God created us with bodies. We are physical beings. I encourage you to do a study sometime on the body in Scripture. The body is talked about a lot, especially in the New Testament, and how important it is that we honor the Lord with our body, and our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. So, the physical nature, material nature, of human beings is very important. There is also what we might call the immaterial aspect of human beings. That is, the part that you cannot see which is interior. What is that all about? Let’s talk about that for just a moment.
What is going on inside? In 1 Thessalonians 5:23, it says this, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Here it seems to indicate that there are three divisions of a human being: the spirit, the soul, and the body. Some divide up the human being into those three categories. We have a physical body, which is obvious, but interiorly, our immaterial nature, is made up of two components: spirt and body. Others say no, that is not necessarily the case. They say we have an immaterial nature and within that immaterial nature are several components identified in the Bible. Spirit and soul are both identified in the Bible, but is there something else? Are we just body, soul, and spirit or is there more to it than that? I think there is more to it than that. We see the spirit here, but how is that different biblically from the soul, if at all? It is part of the immaterial nature but is there a real difference? It is very hard to find a consistency of that in Scripture.
I want to go back to the Scriptures to show that there is more to the immaterial man. I want to look at Matthew 15:19 that speaks about what is going on in the body as well as the mind and soul. It says, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.” Jesus is warning there about the heart. That at the very core of our being, as far as our immaterial nature is concerned, He calls it the heart. We saw in the writings of Paul, the soul, and the spirit and now we have the heart. What is the difference between the heart, soul, and spirit or is there any difference at all or is there overlap?
Let’s look at Matthew 22:37, which says, “And He said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’” This is what we often call the “great commandment.” We have in the immaterial nature of humanity: the heart – this core of our being, the soul – the inner nature of our being, and now it brings up the mind. You cannot see the mind. You can see the brain if you do the right kind of medical imaging, but you cannot see the mind. It is different than the brain, yet the Lord speaks of loving Him with all those things as well . . .
We talked about a biblical worldview of humanity in the last broadcast. Who are people? What does the Bible say about us as people? So, we are looking at several different facets over the next several days where Scriptures tell us what a person is like.
The first one is that we as people are unique in the creative order of God. We are not like angels. We are not like the beast of the field. We are unique. In many ways, I suppose we could say we are chief of God’s creation of all that He has ever created. So, we are very special in that way. We see that. We see we are special in the eyes of God because God Himself has chosen to create us in a certain way. He chose to create us out of the dust of the earth and later when we die, as a result of sin, we return to the dust of the earth. The body is very important in the creation of people. Angels don’t have bodies. Angels are spirits. Human beings, we have bodies, and we will have bodies for all of eternity according to the Scriptures. We will be given a new, glorified body to live with the Lord forever in His kingdom and we will always have physical bodies. So, we are unique.
I want to talk about one other aspect today before we begin to look at the body itself as well as the immaterial nature of humanity. That is the fact that we are made in the image of God, and we couldn’t put more emphasis on that if we had to. So many things that are going wrong in our world today when it comes to people goes back to the fact that most people do not understand that we as people are made in the very image of God. No other being is ever said to be made in the image of God. Not angels, not the beast of the field, and therefore we are unique. I’m for animal rights to a certain degree. I love animals and want to protect animals, but animals are not people. People are unique. People are superior to animals. Angels are a fascinating study and eventually we will get to that understanding of the biblical worldview, but angels are not people and do not have bodies and do not live on the earth like we do, so there is a uniqueness. They are also not made as far, as we are ever told in Scripture, in the image of God.
In Genesis 1:26-28 it says, “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’” We are made in the image of God. We are told that here and in other places in Scripture.
For several weeks now we have been discussing biblical worldview and what that looks like. We are going through the theology of Scripture to see what a biblical worldview is. First, we looked at the biblical worldview related to the Scriptures answering the question: What would a biblical worldview be related to what we believe about the Bible. Secondly, we took a few days to talk about God Himself and what Scripture says about God and who He is and what we should believe if we are biblical Christians. Today we are going to move to another topic. We are moving on to mankind, or humanity. What does the Scripture say about humanity? What should be our biblical worldview when it comes to people? To find that out, we go right back to the beginning of Scripture in Genesis.
Human beings were the final created act of God on the sixth day of creation. Human beings are absolutely unique. Genesis 2:7 says, “Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” We begin with this particular and specific act of God in which He created human beings. Creation is something that God did, according to Scripture, at a moment in time. Therefore, all forms of evolutionary theory are ruled out. It rules out atheistic evolution that doesn’t think it needs God. No Christian would believe that theory. It also rules out theistic evolution - in which people believe God used evolution over a period of billions of years to bring about the planets and millions of years to bring about people and creatures and so forth. Genesis 2:7 unequivocally rules both of these worldviews false. Human beings are a special and unique act of God at one moment in time.
We also find Scriptures that detail the creation of woman. As we read further in Genesis 2:18- 22, it says, “Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.’ Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. So, the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. The man said, ‘This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.’” What a beautiful picture we have here of what God has done. This leads right into marriage. Genesis 2:24 says, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.” We have this beautiful picture, before the fall of man in the next chapter, in which God has created Adam and Eve uniquely at a special point in time. He has brought them together as the first marriage and created marriage at this time and tells us what marriage is going to be about as a man and woman come together as one flesh. That is the picture we have here of the beginning of humanity.
As we consider a biblical worldview, and we are looking at this time at the worldview of God as found in Scripture. We are going to spend one more day on that, although as I said yesterday, we could spend weeks and months exploring all the things Scripture says about it. That would be a profitable study and I hope you have done that. I would point you to books such as A.W. Tozer – The Knowledge of the Holy and J.I. Packer – Knowing God, and many other good books on who God is. Those are two that are very accessible and readable. If you haven’t read those two books, I would really encourage you to do so. Let me talk about a couple other things about the biblical worldview.
God exists in a Trinity. That is the thing that distinguishes us from Judaism, for example. In ancient Judaism, in the Old Testament, an essential key part in their doctrine. For example, Deuteronomy 6:4 says, “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” That was known as the “Shema,” and that was the key basic doctrine of the Jewish faith. The Lord is our God. There is just one Lord. Monotheism.
When we come to the New Testament, actually there are touches of this all the way through the Old Testament. When we come to New Testament, we find that God exists in a Trinitarian form. For example, in what we call the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19, it says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” You notice in that verse that name is singular. Baptize them in the name of. The one name of, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. So, we have all members of the Trinity aligned together and we are to baptize them in the name of that Holy Trinity. Here is a quick definition, a bit more complicated, that God exists in three eternal, equal persons, same in substance, but distinct in subsistence – that is that all members of the Trinity, all three persons within the Trinity are completely, fully, and equally God. Their essence is the same, but they have different roles within the Trinity in ways that we do not understand. People have said, for example, that if you try to understand the Trinity you might lose your mind. If you deny the Trinity, you might lose your soul. So, the point is that the Trinity is a very complicated doctrine found, only in the revelation of Scripture. Nobody would have invented it or made it up. It is from the revelation of the Word of God, yet it is something that is beyond the comprehension of us in our finite minds. There is no comparison. There is no metaphor that fits. No analogy that fits, yet it is a revelation of Scripture.
Several days ago, in our broadcast we began talking about a biblical worldview and what that looks like. There are various surveys and so forth that have asked people a few questions to see if they have a biblical worldview. That is usually a very truncated idea of what a biblical worldview is. We are looking at it in more detail. I believe that to have a worldview that is in line with Scripture there are certain cardinal, non-negotiable teachings and understandings that must be ours.
We began by looking at Scripture and our view of God’s Word as being inspired, inherent, infallible, and the sufficient Word of God. Then we began to talk about God Himself. You cannot have a biblical worldview and have a wrong view of God. Scripture tells us what God is like. That is what we are looking at. Of course, we are only focusing on a few things in particular. We could go on for weeks upon weeks talking about God and all that Scripture says about Him, but we are picking out some essentials. These are things that certainly cannot be negotiated beyond.
One of those things is holiness. God is holy. I don’t think it is a good idea to say that one attribute of God is more important or more essential than another. Some would look at God and say God is love and that is His essence and highest attribute. Or they may pick a different one. Some would go to holiness and say that holiness is the highest attribute of God. I think we have to be careful there and not parcel God up in that way. He is not like us. All the attributes of God, though we think of them as main characteristics, are part of who God is in essence, not just characteristics. All of these are vital to understanding Him.
Some have looked to holiness as the key that unlocks all of them. If God is not holy, then we have a real problem with who God is. That does not mean holiness is the highest of all attributes, it is just part of His nature. It is who God is. Yet Scripture talks so often about His holiness. In Isaiah 6:3, remember Isaiah is in the temple of the Lord and the Lord gives him a vision of the essence of Himself, the greatness of Himself. The angels are there and are flying around the Lord’s throne that Isaiah gets to witness, and the angels cry out, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty.” It’s the only place in the Old Testament when any of His attributes are spoken of three times back-to-back. The only place where the world “holy” is used like that, three times back-to-back.
Then we come to the New Testament, and we have a worship scene in heaven with the angels. John is witnessing this one in Revelation 4:8, it says, “And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.’” One other time in Scripture here we have this worship of God as being holy. Once again, it is the angels saying three times, “holy, holy, holy.” This is such a vital part of who God is. It really nails down His holiness.
Something that comes up all the time in Scripture is the very fact that God is the sovereign God. Fifty-six times in the Scriptures, God is called the Almighty God. That is just one phrase. The evidence of His Almightiness, all-powerfulness, and His sovereignty permeates the Word of God. It is never absent. I think of the angels in heaven who are praising the Lord in Revelation 19:6, and they simply say, ”Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.” That is how the angelic beings see the Lord: the Almighty who reigns.
In Ephesians 1:11 it says, “also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will.” We have the sovereignty of God, providence is another term, in which God is working all things in accordance with the counsel of His will. Nothing is outside of His control or beyond His purposes. Nothing happens that God doesn’t design or control. He works all things according to the counsel of His will. That is a wonderful, wonderful thought, isn’t it? Just think for a moment about the opposite of that. What would happen if God could be changeable? What would happen if something could actually thwart the will of God – whether it be people, Satan, or whatever? What would happen if God was not in control, and we had a universe that was out of control and could go any direction at any moment? The sovereignty of God is a wonderful biblical understanding of who God Himself really is.
The Psalmist is talking and thinking about the sovereignty of God and breaks down in many different ways how he looks at the “omnis” of God. The “omnis” meaning the “alls.” We see in Psalm 139:1 the omnipresence, or all present. He is present everywhere. It says, “O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.” The Psalmist here is admitting understanding that there is nothing that he does that God doesn’t know. There is no way that he can get beyond the understanding of God. He knows all things. He understands all things. He scrutinizes all things. God’s sovereignty goes to the Psalmists’ very thoughts and his mind and God does that throughout the universe . . .
What is a biblical worldview of God? You cannot have a good biblical worldview if you do not have a good understanding of what Scripture says about who God is.
We are looking at Romans 1:18 that says, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.” Then he goes on to say this, “because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” We look at these verses here and we looked at them before. This is God revealing Himself in nature and certain things we can know about God even beyond the Scriptures. You do not have to have the Scriptures to know some of these things He says. So, to begin with, you know that there is a God, and God has revealed Himself in certain ways even through natural revelation of our conscience and nature around us. It says, “His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen in these ways.” So, God exists, and Scripture says you don’t even need to believe in the Bible to know that He exists.
Now, if you wanted to get rid of the idea that God existed, so therefore having an unbiblical worldview, what would you do? Historically in the Western world, including America, most people have had a belief in the God of Scripture. It doesn’t mean they were Christians, so I wouldn’t proclaim that America was ever a Christian nation, but it did have a biblical worldview founded on those many years of going back into the Scriptures and the foundation being laid. So, if you wanted to get rid of that kind of attitude, view, and idea that God truly exists and is needed, what would you do? Ideologically, you would come up with alternative ideas.
Here are four different ideologies that try to undermine the view of God in Scripture:
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Enlightenment. Late 1600-1700s. Replaced God with reason and science. This is the ideology that you don’t need God, instead you can think it through. You can logically think it through. You can do scientific experiments and God is unnecessary.
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Karl Marx Manifesto. 1848. Marx denied God totally because man would be the center of the universe. He believed that man, not God, is the supreme being, therefore we dismiss God and then man can figure it out. Of course, the enlightenment was part of this teaching as well. It thought that if man is smart enough to have reason as a center of their thinking and logic and so forth, and man doesn’t need God, then man is at the center of the universe.
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Charles Darwin Origins of Species. 1859. This would be the beginning of the popularization of evolution theory. Darwin got rid of God by saying we don’t need a creator. Yes, in the Scriptures they looked up in the heavens and saw the mighty power of God and the divine nature of God, but Darwin looked at nature and didn’t see God. Instead, banking off Karl Marx to a large degree, what he saw was not God, but evolution. He believed that by random chance and so forth that the survival of the fittest worked things out so that we are where we are at today in evolution. God is not needed. A creator is not needed. Evolution filled in that gap.
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Sigmund Freud - views of Psychoanalysis. End of 1800s. Freud replaced the biblical worldview of humanity – what mankind was really like, in other words their inward nature – with a whole different system of the id, the ego, and the superego . . .
We are looking at different details at what a true biblical worldview would look like. We are not looking at the minimalist biblical worldview, but full detail of what it looks like to see life through the lens of Scripture. We looked at Scripture last time and moving straight from that is a biblical worldview of God.
Obviously, at the heart and center of a biblical worldview is our understanding of God Himself. Many theologians, and others that read the Bible, note that the Bible begins by God not explaining Himself or trying to convince people that He exists, but simply, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” No explanation, and no long list of apologetics to prove God exists. He simply says, “I exist.” “In the beginning God,” lots of sermons have probably been preached on that one phrase alone. God did what? He created everything. The heavens, the earth, and the whole works. Many have pointed out the first eleven chapters of Genesis is really the bedrock of the Christian faith. If you dismiss the first eleven chapters, you call it myth or fables or anything else, and you end up without a biblical worldview because you in essence have misunderstood God.
As we think about that, we find that God does exist in Scripture, and He is the creator of all things. The Westminster Catechism sums up a lot of what Scripture says in this short statement about God, it says, “God is a spirit, infinite, eternal, unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.” That doesn’t tell us everything about God, but it does tell us a lot of things about who God is. He is nothing like any of us. He is beyond us and unchangeable and infinite in all things. He is a spirit. He is not a physical being. He is a spirit . . .
As we have been talking about a biblical worldview, we realize we must see life through the lens of Scripture to have a biblical worldview. As we are thinking about what the components of a biblical worldview are, it is only logical that the first component is to believe that the Scriptures are the Word of God. We also must talk about God Himself, and we will do that soon. We are going to talk today about how He revealed Himself to us. Has God communicated to humanity? What form? What do we believe about that? I think a biblical worldview is to believe that the Scriptures, as we hold in our hands in the form of the Bible, is given to us by God. We have seen already that it is inspired by God. It is God-breathed. Therefore, it comes forth from the breath and communication of God. What does that mean to us as we think about a worldview that incorporates this kind of view of Scripture?
2 Peter 1:19-21 implies to us that the Word of God is inherent and infallible. Inherent and infallible means the Word of God is never wrong and cannot be wrong. It can never possibly be wrong because it is given to us by the very voice of God. It can never be wrong in the particulars for the same reason. So, it is never wrong, and it can never be wrong.
2 Peter 1:19 says this, “So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” This is a description of how God has given us His Word. The Scriptures do not come from the prophets themselves. It is not the ideas or the thinking or the prophecies of individuals. The prophets moved as the Holy Spirit moved them. It’s kind of like putting a stick on the stream of water and that stream of water takes the stick down the stream. That is the picture we have here of the prophetic Word. The Word of the Holy Spirit moved these prophets so that they spoke the very Word of God. It wasn’t their interpretation, it wasn’t their ideas, it was God’s Word to us! So, it is infallible. It is inherent. It is the inspired Word of God.
Jesus spoke about this while He was in prayer in John 17:3, where He says, “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” You here speaking of the Father. In John 17:8, He says this, “for the words which You gave Me I have given to them,” so the very words that Jesus spoke come from the Father, “and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me.” Then in John 17:17, He says this, “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” The very words Jesus spoke, the very words found in Scripture are the truth of God and therefore a biblical worldview believes this is what is true about God’s Word.
We are continuing our discussion today about biblical worldview. If you have your Bibles, you might turn to one of the great Scriptures on the Scriptures themselves, 2 Timothy 3:16-17. If we are going to have a worldview that we call biblical then we have already seen that we have to draw that from Scriptures itself. Biblical worldview is seeing life through the lens and teaching of Scripture. If we are going to do that, then we must believe that the Word of God is given to us by Himself as what we call in this passage, “inspired of Him.” I believe if you are going to have a biblical worldview it is essential that you have a view of the Scriptures that it is God-breathed. 2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.” Now, the Legacy Bible from Master’s Seminary in California has done a recent upgrade from the NASB Bible and instead of using the term “inspired” as the NASB does, it says “God breathed.” So, the word inspired means breathed out. It is the very breath of God. A biblical worldview would incorporate the understanding that the Scriptures are breathed out by God. He says, all Scripture – every aspect of Scripture, all 66 books of Scripture, or what we call the Canon of Scripture, is God-breathed. It comes from the very breath of God.
It says the Word of God is profitable for four things:
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Teaching – it tells us what is true.
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Reproof – it tells us when we have gone astray and when we are wrong.
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Correction – not only does it tell us when we have gone astray, but it tells us how to be corrected.
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Training and Righteousness – when we put all of this together the Scripture takes us through a training process where the Word of God, when we meditate on it and study it, trains us to think like God and to live as God wants us to live.
2 Timothy 3:17 says, “so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” We have this person of God, the child of God, who believes this way and looks at Scripture from this angle. They are equipped, mended. This Word is used in the gospel to speak of mending of nets. It is the picture that a hole in a net for a fisherman won’t help him catch many fish. So, the fishermen would bring their nets up on the shore and mend those nets and fix those holes and throw them back out and use them again as they were now equipped for what they were made to do. Here, it is speaking of, equipping, or mending us. Fixing those holes in our lives so that we are equipped for every good work. The adequacy and sufficiency of Scriptures equips us for every good work . . .
We continue discussing a biblical worldview today. Recall that a worldview is simply how we look at life and process life. Biblical worldview is to process life through the lens of Scripture. We saw yesterday that God reveals His truth through two different ways:
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General or natural revelation in which He reveals certain aspects of truth through nature, creation, our conscience, and our moral nature. God has built those things in us. We find this in Psalm 19, which we will look to again today, as well as Romans 1 & 2. God does reveal certain aspects about Himself and the world in general. People can see those. The Lord’s wrath, or judgment, comes against those who suppress that truth.
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Specific revelation. The natural truth is not enough to truly give us a really solid handle on who God is, who we are, our salvation, and many other things. So, to see those things, we must turn to the written Word of God. We will look at that today.
Our biblical worldview must come from the Scriptures itself. What does Scripture say about all of these things concerning our lives and living. We turn to Psalm 19:7 where David has just written about the natural, general revelation in Psalm 19:1-6. He now turns to the specific revelation of Scripture. He gives the Scripture various names. For instance, Psalm 19:7 says, “The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul.” The law then is one of the handles for the understanding of Scripture. He uses several of them here and so, that is what he is talking about here. I am using the Legacy Translation, and it translates the word Lord as “Yahweh,” so keep that in mind as we read through this section. Psalm 19:7 says, “restoring the soul.” He starts off by saying that the Word of God is perfect and there are no defects in it. You couldn’t add anything to make it better. It is perfect and its job is to restore the soul. That is wonderful because we are all born into this world with broken souls. We are on the wrong track, we are corrupted by sin, and the Word of God is God’s tool and means through His Holy Spirit of restoring the soul. Psalm 19:7 continues, “The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.” We have a sure Word of God so that even the simplest of people can become wise when they understand life from God’s wisdom on how to live life God’s way.
We began a series yesterday about biblical worldview. Worldview being simply the lens by which we look at life and process life and think through life. Everybody has one. A biblical worldview would be a worldview based upon what Scripture tells us is true and how we are to process life through the lens of Scripture. We looked at the surveys taken by Barna Association that says that only 19% of those that claim to be born-again, we will leave that confirmation to them and the Lord, have a biblical worldview by a very minimalistic definition.
We are going to begin looking at that step-by-step and we willspend several weeks going through this because I think it is very interesting and very important. We are going to start with Scripture. If you are going to have a biblical worldview, you must have a right view of Scripture. If we are going to process life through the lens of Scripture, what is Scripture? What is revelation? As we think about that, I am going to look at Psalm 19 with you today, and as we think about that, we find in the Bible that God has revealed Himself and His truth through two means: general revelation and specific revelation.
General revelation is found in Psalm 19 and other places that deal with the fact that the Lord reveals certain things about Himself through creation and nature and conscience. We will start with Psalm 19:1-3, it says:
“The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard.”
We are going to start a new series discussing worldview. That might sound intimidating at first until you realize that everybody has a worldview. From the most sophisticated to the most unsophisticated of people. From the most educated to the most uneducated people. We all have a worldview. Worldview is simply the process by which we examine life. It is the lens by which we process everything, by which we determine what is right and what is wrong, what is true and what is not true. Simply stated: It is how we view life. Everybody has a worldview.
The issue we want to talk about though is a biblical worldview. As Christians we believe that the lens by which we look at life and process everything should be the Word of God. Therefore, the Word of God should determine our worldview as Christians. So, a biblical worldview is what we are going to talk about. What is a biblical worldview? I read about that all the time. I’m always running across something in Christian literature that says we ought to have a biblical worldview or Christians don’t have a biblical worldview. Seldom are we ever told exactly what we are talking about when it comes to biblical worldviews.
We will start today by looking at a survey by Barna. Barna is an organization, like the Gallup Polls, that probably does the most surveying among Christian organizations. They have been doing surveys for a very long time. About every five years going back to the 1990s, they have asked the same question of people concerning worldview and whether or not they believe in a biblical worldview. That has stayed, according to them, fairly constant over time.
Thanks for listening to Southern View Chapel's A Wonderful Day in the Lord podcast, featuring senior pastor Gary Gilley.
Check out our website @ www.svchapel.org
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Thanks for listening to Southern View Chapel's A Wonderful Day in the Lord podcast, featuring senior pastor Gary Gilley.
Check out our website @ www.svchapel.org
Check out Pastor Gilley's ministry Think on These Things @ www.tottministries.org
Sign up for our annual women's conference Beautifully Rooted @ www.beautifullyrooted.org
Sign up for our annual men's conference Truth for Every Man @ www.truth4men.org
Subscribe to our YouTube channel @ www.youtube.com/c/SouthernViewChapel
Thanks for listening to Southern View Chapel's A Wonderful Day in the Lord podcast, featuring senior pastor Gary Gilley.
Check out our website @ www.svchapel.org
Check out Pastor Gilley's ministry Think on These Things @ www.tottministries.org
Sign up for our annual women's conference Beautifully Rooted @ www.beautifullyrooted.org
Sign up for our annual men's conference Truth for Every Man @ www.truth4men.org
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Thanks for listening to Southern View Chapel's A Wonderful Day in the Lord podcast, featuring senior pastor Gary Gilley.
Check out our website @ www.svchapel.org
Check out Pastor Gilley's ministry Think on These Things @ www.tottministries.org
Sign up for our annual women's conference Beautifully Rooted @ www.beautifullyrooted.org
Sign up for our annual men's conference Truth for Every Man @ www.truth4men.org
Subscribe to our YouTube channel @ www.youtube.com/c/SouthernViewChapel
Thanks for listening to Southern View Chapel's A Wonderful Day in the Lord podcast, featuring senior pastor Gary Gilley.
Check out our website @ www.svchapel.org
Check out Pastor Gilley's ministry Think on These Things @ www.tottministries.org
Sign up for our annual women's conference Beautifully Rooted @ www.beautifullyrooted.org
Sign up for our annual men's conference Truth for Every Man @ www.truth4men.org
Subscribe to our YouTube channel @ www.youtube.com/c/SouthernViewChapel
Thanks for listening to Southern View Chapel's A Wonderful Day in the Lord podcast, featuring senior pastor Gary Gilley.
Check out our website @ www.svchapel.org
Check out Pastor Gilley's ministry Think on These Things @ www.tottministries.org
Sign up for our annual women's conference Beautifully Rooted @ www.beautifullyrooted.org
Sign up for our annual men's conference Truth for Every Man @ www.truth4men.org
Subscribe to our YouTube channel @ www.youtube.com/c/SouthernViewChapel
Thanks for listening to Southern View Chapel's A Wonderful Day in the Lord podcast, featuring senior pastor Gary Gilley.
Check out our website @ www.svchapel.org
Check out Pastor Gilley's ministry Think on These Things @ www.tottministries.org
Sign up for our annual women's conference Beautifully Rooted @ www.beautifullyrooted.org
Sign up for our annual men's conference Truth for Every Man @ www.truth4men.org
Subscribe to our YouTube channel @ www.youtube.com/c/SouthernViewChapel
Several weeks ago we began a short series of looking at the words of scripture and looking at different ones and how they impact our Christian life and the meaning behind them. That morphed into looking at some statements in the New Testament. Principally, the seven I am statements found in the gospel of John spoken by our Lord. He says, “I am,” seven different times. We looked at that already together. I am going to overview that and review that today as we conclude this short series.
The I am as you recall is a link, at least, to the fact that Christ is deity. It was spoken in the Old Testament. Remember when Moses wanted to know who he should say sent him to the people in Egypt, God responded to tell them, “I am sent you.” That is a statement concerning the deity of Christ, the title of Christ. It is a reference to the self-existent one or Yahweh or Jehovah. When Jesus makes these statements, I am the ears perked up on all His listeners. They knew He was speaking beyond simply saying that this is I am as a person. He was making claims that He was deity . . .
This is the seventh I am statement found in John 15.
Jesus says in John 15:1, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit, You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”
There is a lot here. This is a very intense section and goes all the way through John 15:11. There is so much, so we will just have to hit some highlights of this passage. We find that Jesus is the source of life here. He gives the analogy of a vine, and most of us don’t know a lot about growing grapes today, but we know the concept. There is a vine, and you cannot grow fruit unless you are connected to the vine. So, He is saying that He is the vine. The Father is the dresser, so to speak, He takes care of the vineyard, but we are the branches within that vine and unless we are connected to the vine, we cannot have life and we cannot draw life from Christ, and we cannot bear fruit.
We are coming to the end of the I am statements in the book of John. We are in John 14 where Jesus is going to make a wonderful statement.
A little context here: Jesus is in the upper room with His disciples on the night that He was betrayed just before the crucifixion. He is now revealing to them that He is going away. They are troubled by that. So much so, that in John 14:1 He says, “Do not let your heart be troubled, believe in God, believe also in Me.” Jesus wants to comfort them at this time. Wonderful things are going to happen, but before those things happen there is going to be the awfulness of the crucifixion, and the disciples don’t know what to do about that, and they are just now learning certain things even in this last night with Jesus. He does say to them in John 14:2-4, “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way where I am going.” Part of the comfort that Jesus is giving them is that He is going to go away, but He is going to prepare a place for them so that they would have a place in the “Father’s house,” together with the Father, with Christ, and Jesus says I am going to prepare such a place for you. Then I am going to come back for you and take you to be with myself. What a wonderful comfort that should be. He says, “you know the way that I am going.” Thomas, I think, probably spoke for all of them when he said in John 14:5, “Thomas said to Him, ‘Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?’” I think that is a good statement. Jesus is kind of hitting them blind here. He is going to go away, prepare a place for them, come again, and take them to Himself and all of that is great, but Thomas is kind of out there in left field here saying what are we to do with this? We don’t even know where you are going how could we possibly know the way? . . .
We have been looking at the great seven I am statements made by Jesus concerning Himself. We are in John 11 today where Jesus makes a startling statement to Martha of the Mary and Martha sister duo.
In John 11:25 it says, “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies.” Jesus claims here to be the resurrection and the life. Death is one of our great enemies. It is the last enemy that will be conquered according to 1 Corinthians 15, but it will ultimately go down, because Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life. In the meanwhile, we sorrow over death. There are very few things, if anything, in life that is more sorrowful than the loss of a loved one, and we grieve over that loss. This story has always intrigued people. Jesus knew that Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, was sick and that his sickness was going to be fatal. Jesus knew that, yet He delayed coming. He could have healed him and been there on the spot, and healed him as He did many others, but He didn’t. So, finally, after Lazarus has already died and been buried and is in the grave for four days, Jesus and His men show up. At that point, a dialogue takes place between Martha and Jesus. Mary stays in her house at this point. Maybe she is mad at Jesus. Maybe she is just so grief stricken she doesn’t want to come out. Martha shows up and she believes in the resurrection as she says in John 11:24, “Martha said to Him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.’” The Old Testament doesn’t talk a lot about the resurrection at the end of time, but it does in a few places. Job mentions it, Psalm 16, and especially Daniel 12 which gives a more detailed account of the resurrection at the end times. Mary and Martha believed that. They knew a resurrection was coming and they fully believed that their brother, Lazarus, would resurrect at that time. He was a man who trusted God and Martha had no doubt about his eternal destiny . . .
We continue looking at the I am statements in the book of John. The I am as you will recall is a reference at least partially back to the idea that Jesus Himself is God. He is deity, that is drawn from the Old Testament. The I am. The Jehovah God. Then He makes seven definitive statements concerning Himself as the I am. The last one we looked at in John 10 is that He was the door of the sheep. Then He immediately moves right into not only being the door of the sheep, but the good Shepherd. That’s where we pick up today!
John 10:11 says, “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” Jesus is saying that He is that good shepherd. I want to come back to shepherds in a moment, but I want you to note the contrast He makes here between Himself and others who have pretended to be the shepherds of the people. Probably referencing the spiritual leaders of Israel, the pharisees and Sadducees and so forth.
John 10:12 continues, “He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me.” Jesus contrasts Himself with those who pretend to be the shepherd and have actually led the people astray. He is the good shepherd. It is a normal, very common metaphor back in the Old Testament. The people of Israel, many of the people, were shepherds and they all knew about sheep and understood the life of the sheep . . .
We have been looking at the seven I am statements found the book of John by Jesus. We have looked so far that Jesus says I am: the Light of the world and bread of life.
Today we are looking at Jesus saying I am the door. Looking at John 10:7 it says, “So Jesus said to them again, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.’” The Jews were very familiar with the life of the shepherd. Most of us might see a sheep in the pasture somewhere, but most of us know very little about them. That was a way of life for the Jewish people, although they were not all shepherds. Sheep were very common. It was part of the economy and part of their lifestyle. Many of them worked as shepherds at one point or perhaps continuously, so they understood these things.
The sheep were often out looking for grazing. They had to find pasture and so they were often taken wherever that grass might be. It was the job of the shepherds to guide them and to protect them and to take them to places where they could get sustenance, water, food and so forth. Out in the wilderness there were a lot of predators. As a result of that, one of the ways to protect the sheep was known as the sheepfold. If you left the sheep to wander around at night, almost certainly a predator would get one or more of them or they would get lost and not find their way back. So, the only way to keep from losing your flock at night was to keep them together. In the wilderness, there were these small containers, they were short walls that the sheep could be driven into at night for protection, but they did not have a gate in the front of them. So, the shepherd would lay out in front of that opening so that the sheep could not get out . . .
We looked last time at the fact the Jesus is the Light of the world. Today we are looking at His statement in John 6:35 that He is the bread of life.
John 6:35 says, “Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.’” Let’s get some context here. So far, Jesus has been well received, by the masses at least, and He has been doing some great signs and wonders that shows who He is. One of those has been to feed a multitude of people. Just prior to this, He had fed five thousand men. That apparently didn’t include the women and children, so it could have been much more than five thousand. We have five thousand people or more fed and they are excited about that. They want to actually make Him King. You can see why. Most of us have never actually experienced true hunger. We get hungry sometimes, but to have the idea of true hunger with the possibility of not finding food is something pretty foreign to most of us. In the first century times when Jesus lived, hunger was a real deal at times. Someone who could come along and actually feed the people and meet their most basic need for food without cost was something very special. So, when they found a person in Jesus, who now they are recognizing is a great prophet if nothing else, and He feeds them in this way, on top of the other signs that He has performed, some of them are now saying and thinking, “Let’s make Him King, maybe He is the Messiah! Let’s force Him to be our King and to take care of us and to feed us and satisfy our hunger.” Jesus of course rejects that because their motivation is to be fed, not to follow Him in righteousness. Jesus does, based on this account, say that He is the bread of life and if you come to Him you will never hunger. He wasn’t talking about physical food here. He is talking about spiritual food . . .
Last time we looked at Jesus’ proclamation that He is the great I AM. He is God. He is Jehovah. Then we find, in the gospel of John, seven different times that Jesus came out very clearly and said, I am… These are pictures or metaphors that describe the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. They are very enriching and valuable for us to think about and meditate on. As I go through them briefly these next seven times, I hope you will take some time and go back and look at the context of these statements and spend some time meditating on them and praying about them and thanking the Lord for who He is and that He has come for us. These are wonderful statements that Jesus Himself made.
The first one is in John 8:12 which says, “Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.’” As Jesus spoke this way, again He is talking to a Jewish audience, and the Jews have a background in the understanding of the ways and things of God. They know the Old Testament and they know what God did for the people of Israel in the Old Testament. One of the things that the Lord did in the Old Testament was to guide His people in a very physical way through the use of His own presence of what we call the Shekinah Glory. When He wanted the people to move, His cloud by day would guide them. At night, if He wanted them to travel, He would do so in a pillar of fire. At night, He would be the illumination for them to see the way of where they are going and know the direction that God wanted them. This is a picture linking back to that time in the wilderness as God led them. So, Jesus is saying here that He is the Light of the world. I am the illumination of the world. You can’t see where to go without illumination. You can’t see what is right without illumination and I AM that illumination and Light of the world . . .
Today we are going to look at two words that go together, I AM. In John 8:58, Jesus made a startling announcement about Himself in these verses. It was an announcement that really rocked some of the Jewish leadership.
John 8:58 says, “Jesus said to them, “‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.’” It is very instructive to note here that He didn’t say that before Abraham was born, I was born, or I was around or whatever. He says, I am. That was a very important terminology for the Jewish people because they understood that was a reference to God Himself. As a matter of fact, the Jews were upset and we see their reaction in John 8:59, “Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple.” They knew exactly what Jesus was referring to and it very much upset them. So much so, that they tried to kill Jesus.
I want to go to Exodus 3 and look at the passage of scripture that the Jews knew very well, and they knew exactly what Jesus was trying to say. Jesus was not claiming to be only pre-existent saying He existed before Abraham. That was true, but there is more to it than that. Jesus is claiming to be God and the Jews knew what He was talking about. In Exodus 3, Moses is at the burning bush and God is commissioning him to go into the land of Egypt and virtually pull of the Exodus. Moses would be God’s representative. He would be going from where he was living in the wilderness into Egypt and confront Pharoah and the Egyptian army and nation. As Moses would go into Egypt, he had to have a message. He was deeply concerned that as he went into Egypt and presented the message God wanted him to present to the Jews that they would reject it. So, he wants to know who he should say is sending him . . .
We continue to study important words, concepts, and phrases found in the New Testament especially that help us understand how to live, understand God Himself, and who we are in Christ. We are looking at a lot of different words and it’s appropriate that we would look at the word, Word!
John 1 uses the Greek word logos here. It is used only by the apostle John in the gospel of John, and it is not found anywhere else. John had an agenda and idea in mind here that he was trying to communicate to us concerning the logos, or as translated in our Bibles, the Word. It says in John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” What does the word, Word mean? Part of our problem is that it is not found in other parts of our New Testament, nor does John take the time to explain what he means. It seems very poetic and metaphorical, and it is a beautiful picture of Christ is, but why did he use the word logos or Word to describe Jesus Christ? . . .
We have been looking at the meaning of specific words found in the scriptures to help us understand the Christian life and God. The word we are looking at today is especially related to God Himself. It is the word glorify. It is a wonderful word that speaks of radiance, majesty, and honor. Originally it had the idea of weight. Describing something weighty or heavy, and therefore of great importance. Although that definition is seldom used in the Old or New Testaments. It is the idea of manifesting or demonstrating the glory of God. Whether God demonstrates His own glory or whether He speaks of His own glory. At the incarnation in Acts 2, there was glory all around the angels and that was the reflection of the glory of God. We have in various occasions the glory and majesty of God being demonstrated.
In Hebrews 1, I want to look at a few verses that speak on this idea. One of my favorite scripture passages is Hebrews 1:1 it says, “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.” We are looking at the communication of God. God has communicated in two central times and ways in the Old Testament and in many portions and in many ways through the prophets and in the final days in this final dispensation, He has spoken to us through His Son. He has appointed Him heir of all things. Now we go on to talk about that Son and what He is going to do. Hebrews 1:3 says, “And He is the radiance of His glory,” Jesus Christ is the radiance or reflection of the glory of God Himself. He is the exact representation of His nature. When we see Jesus and look intently into the life of Jesus, we are looking intently into the glory and majesty and radiance of God Himself. “And the exact representation of His nature and upholds all things by the word of His power.” Here we have the creative power of Christ Himself . . .
Our word for today is the word repent. This is a word that is often misunderstood, and it is a vital piece of the Christian life. The word itself simply means to change your mind about something, but it is used in a biblical and spiritual sense as changing our minds about something that results in a change in the way we live. So, it’s kind of like walking in one direction and then turning around and walking in another direction. It is a turnabout. It starts with the mind. It starts with our thinking. We have changed our mind about Christ and how we used to live and the lifestyle we used to have. We have changed our mind about sin, and we no longer want to be under the dominion of sin. We want to be under the mastery of Christ. We are turning from our idols and turning to Christ to worship Him. All of these things are involved in this word. So, the biblical terminology then is the change of your mind that results in a change of behavior.
John the Baptist came preaching repentance in the opening words of the gospels. He called for the pharisees and others to change their behavior and bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance. Later, when Jesus stepped up, He preached the exact same message, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” in Matthew 3:2. Repentance was an important word in the opening words of the gospel concerning Jesus’ public ministry . . .
We are continuing to work through biblical words and terms, and we are looking at some of the great teachings of scripture found in the words of scripture. It is important that we do these kinds of word studies and see them in context and see how they are used so we understand how God wants us to live.
Today we are going to look at the word baptism or baptize. You will find the word baptize many times in the New Testament. That is really not a translation. The translations from the Greek and the Hebrew is different. This is a transliteration. Simply taking the Greek words letter by letter into the English text. I think the reason why that happened is because by the time the English bibles were being translated, there had been several confusing ideas about baptism floating around the Christian church. As a result of that, or in order to have their translations accepted by the various groups, it was just wiser not to translate the word and simply transliterate it over and let everybody else fight for the rest of time over what it meant.
The word itself means to immerse or dip. That is where the problem came in because early in church history, not long after the apostles passed away, we find one of the very earliest of heresies had to do with baptism. Very quickly, people began to baptize children with the idea that by baptizing those children, they would be saved, and an unbaptized child would not be saved. Of course, that teaching is not found in scripture anywhere. Then that bled over later to baptizing adults for salvation. So, there was the heresy of baptismal regeneration that began to pop up very early in church history. Then there were others that would come along, especially at the time of the Reformation, and they would continue to baptize infants, but not for salvation. They said they are bringing the children into the covenant, but not for salvation itself . . .
I’m sure you have heard it said that there are three great enemies of the Christian: the world, the flesh, and the devil. The devil is a personal being who controls the world system, and he desires for us to be sinners. Therefore, he draws us toward the things of the world and the things of the flesh. Last time we looked at the word world, or the Greek word cosmos, which often means the world system in opposition to the system of God and the life He has for us.
This time, we are going to look at the word flesh. Flesh really overlaps with the others. We really do have three great enemies. The devil is our enemy. He seeks to destroy us. The world draws us to its ways, thinking and values. The primary enemy found in the New Testament, the one that is repeated as our enemy far more than the other two, is the word flesh. So, what does the word mean to us? Like the word world, it is used in more than one way in the New Testament . . .
It is important and helpful to understand the meaning of words found in the Bible and their meaning in the context of the scriptures. This is important for understanding the meaning in the Christian life.
Today’s word is world, which is the Greek word cosmos. It is found 188 times in the New Testament. The problem with the word cosmos is that it can be used more than one way which can cause confusion and misunderstanding.
There are at least three different ways in which the word cosmos is used:
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People John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” So, we know that the Lord loves whom? He doesn’t love the world system as we will look at in a moment. He doesn’t necessarily love the planet, but He does love people. He loves people so much that He sent His Son to die for us that we might be saved. The word, world, or cosmos is used in this way.
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Planets We find that the Lord talks about the planet itself, the sphere of which we live upon, in Matthew 4:8, “Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.”
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System or philosophy The primary way that it is found in the New Testament that really impacts us, is that it is used as a world system. A philosophy of life. A system that permeates everything around us and often within us. It colors the way we think. The things that we value, and the life that we live. Probably the most important passage on that subject is in 1 John 2:15 . . .
Our final word this week we are looking at two words that overlap. The words trespass and sin. In Ephesians 2:1, it puts these two words in the same sentence and says, “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins.” I think we often just couple those two words together and think of them as being synonymous terms. They are not quite synonymous. They give us a full picture of our sinfulness.
Let’s start with the fact that we are dead in our trespasses and sins. There is a spiritual death that we are born into. We are born sinners. We are born guilty. We are born in a situation in which we have no spiritual life or relationship with God and that is our original state. That is what we are born into. That is what he is speaking about in Ephesians 2 as he is talking about how we can get out of that situation through what Jesus Christ has done for us as we receive His grace by faith alone. He said we are dead in trespasses and sins.
What is the difference between trespasses and sins? When you understand the meaning of the words you will see how they complement each other. Trespass is the idea of a deliberate act of deviated from the law or will of God. Again, we are born that way automatically deviating from the will of God. That is our stated personhood. We are those that deviate from the will of God and the Word of God and the law of God. We do not want to be what God wants us to be by nature. That is who we are by nature. It helps us to understand the word trespass when we walk around somewhere, and we see a sign that says no trespassing. Recently, I was in a location in the countryside, and there was a number of places that I wanted to go trekking back into the woods and check it out and see what it was like, and I kept running into these signs that said no trespassing . . .
Our word today is forgiveness. What a sweet and important word. This word is incredibly valuable to us. We love it when we think about forgiveness. It is an issue that permeates every aspect of life. Without forgiveness there is a hardness, bitterness, and conflict. With forgiveness, so many things can be resolved. We are so grateful that forgiveness is one of the aspects of what the Lord gives us at the moment of redemption.
A general idea of the word forgiveness means that something is off the table. If we have been forgiven that issue no longer bears any pressure on us. It is no longer counted against us. It is completely removed from the table, and it is gone. It does not come back again to haunt us or challenge us or condemn us. It should be that way between people. If someone sins against us and harms us and we forgive them then that issue should be resolved and off the table. It shouldn’t be brought back up again. It shouldn’t be reoccurring; it is gone and off the table. That is very important in relationship, but it is far more important in our relationship with God.
In Matthew 26:26, at the first Lord’s supper we find, “While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body.” And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.’” Forgiveness is at the heart of the Lord’s supper as He pointed to these elements that would be symbolic of what He would do for us . . .
Today’s word is the beautiful word of adoption. In Ephesians 1:4-5 says, “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will.” We find that word adoption in Ephesians as one of the benefits that we have in coming to Christ. He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Him.
To understand this word, adoption, we must back up a bit. We have a different understanding of adoption in our culture today. In the Greek and Roman culture, this was a different understanding. The Jews didn’t really have an idea for adoption in the same way, but the Romans did, and it was a rather complicated system. As a matter of fact, if you had a son, as he was growing up, he would be considered a child. Then there was a point of time, kind of like a bar mitzvah, in which this child would be accepted as a son. He would be adopted into the family and now be considered a son, not a child, and in essence have the rights of an adult in the family. The word was also used for those that were not relatives as well. Adults could even be adopted by someone outside the family to be in your family and have all the rights of your family. The best-known case historically, is Julius Caesar, who adopted Octavian in his will. Octavian was 18 years old when Julius Caesar died. He was a relative, he was Julius’ great-nephew, but he was not the son of Julius Caesar. So, when he adopted him, he made Octavian part of the dynasty, and his name was changed to Augustus by the leadership, and he became known as Caesar Augustus. He would end up being the emperor over Rome for a long time. However, he was not a direct descendent of Julius Caesar, but he was adopted into the family of Julius Caesar and as a result he had all the rights of Julius Caesar. So, that was part of the adoption program . . .
Our word today is regeneration. This word is more common to us than propitiation, at least in our Christian world. This word is found primarily in Titus 3:5 which says, “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.” As we look at this verse, we see Christ saved us, not according to anything that we have done to deserve salvation, but according to God’s mercy and grace. Then it says through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit. So, this is a ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of the unredeemed and unsaved person that brings him to the state of redemption and in this case, regeneration.
Regeneration basically means to make alive. Something that was once dead is now alive. Something that did not exist in its present form is now existing. Jesus talked about it with Nicodemus in John 3:7 and used basically this same word, but it is translated as born again or born from above, depending on your translation. He told Nicodemus that in order to have eternal life, you must be born from above, or born again. So that is the word regeneration. A new birth.
We find the same thing in 1 Peter 1:3, it says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” So, it is a second birth, just as Jesus told Nicodemus and that is the idea of regeneration. That which was dead has now been made alive. That which was born physically has now been born spiritually . . .
We are looking at important theological, or biblical words that are important to our faith and understanding the Christian life in each lesson. We have already looked at five other words. We are going to look at the fancy word of propitiation this time.
This word is so out of sync with our vocabulary that many of the newer translations don’t even translate it as propitiation. They say something like, atoning, sacrifice or something along that line which really doesn’t cover the real meaning of the word propitiation. It’s only found a few times in scripture, but it is a very important word.
Let’s read Roman 3:25, “whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God, He passed over the sins previously committed.” Here is one of our scriptures where propitiation shows up speaking of Christ as the “whom” that was displayed. The word itself means to satisfy. It is the flip side of the issue of redemption. When we ask the question: Why did Jesus come to earth and die on the cross? We give the answer that He came to redeem us from sin and set us free of the bondage of sin and to save us. Those are good and correct answers, but there is a flip side to that in which most people don’t think about. That is wrapped up in this word propitiation. It is the idea that God’s righteous justice and wrath against sin had to be satisfied in some manner. It helps us to understand what takes place here by looking at two central attributes of God. One is holiness and the other is justice. God is a holy God. He is righteous, He is holy, He is pure, and He is without sin. Because He is a righteous and holy God, He cannot simply look the other way at sin. He cannot simply airbrush it out of the universe and accept us into His presence complete with our sins. His wrath is poured out against sin because He is holy. That brings us to the word justice. Everyone wants to talk about justice today . . .
We are looking at Romans 5 for our word reconciliation which is not a word that is commonly used in everyday language although it is occasionally used. In the biblical terminology, we are looking at reconciliation with God.
Our great need ultimately is to be reconciled with God. If you think of the whole picture of salvation, our problem is that because we are sinners we are alienated from a righteous God. That is our major problem and all the teaching in scripture is dealing with how a sinner can be righteous before God. How can we be reconciled to Him? We are alienated and separated from Him, and we need reconciliation.
Romans 5:10 talks about reconciliation, “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.” This is a great passage in scripture. I encourage you to read Romans 5. As Paul is teaching, he is closing his teaching of how to be saved and all about justification and so forth. He is pulling a lot of that together before he springs into Romans 6-8 talking about sanctification, or spiritual maturity and growth. As he does so, he is looking at the factors that have kept us from being right with God. Our spiritual alienation, or separation. Here in this passage, he calls us sinners, ungodly, and even the enemy of God. Most of us don’t like to think of ourselves as the enemy of God, but we like to think that at our very worst we were noncommittal. To think that we are enemies of God is a horrible thing to consider. If there is a true God and you want to be an enemy of that God, you are certainly on the wrong side of things, right? We do not want to be that way, but that is what the Lord says . . .
Our word for today is justification. We are looking at important words found in scripture.
We are going to look at Romans 3:23-24 which says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.
We saw that word redeemed or redemption last time. The Lord purchases us out of the slave market of sin and sets us free to be followers of a new master Jesus Christ. Today we are looking at justification. It is because we have sinned and fallen short of His glory that we need to be justified. The word justified was a battle cry in the time of the Reformation. The Roman Catholic church had looked at that word and were claiming that justification was a process. You could be justified before God, but it was a process. Faith was involved, but so were the sacraments and various requirements that had to be kept in order for the individual to be justified. So, it became a kind of works salvation - you could be saved by faith plus all these different things that you had to do to be justified. The Reformers came along and rightly understood the scriptures taught that justification was not a process, it was a gift as this passage says. It is a gift that God gives those who are fallen, those who are sinners and need to be redeemed and we have been justified.
The word itself means to declare righteous. You might even find sometimes in scripture the word righteous and justified are overlapping in translations in different places because that is the basic meaning. It is to be righteous. It is not our righteousness; however, it is not something we merit or grow in or develop. It is a declared righteousness. It is a legal term. We have been declared righteous. It is like we are going to court, and the judge declares us not guilty. It is even more than that though . . .
Our word last time was depravity which is moral and complete corruption of our very nature. We were born sinners. We can do nothing to make ourselves right before God and all that leads to the things that Jesus Christ had to do for us so that we could be right before Him.
Redemption is not a common word in our secular language. We do use it occasionally, but we probably have a different understanding of it than the biblical terminology. Let’s read 1 Peter 1:18-19, it says, “knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.”
Let us start with the word redemption. In the New Testament there are three different words translated redeemed or redemption. I have often taught over the years, that I think, these three words give us the full package and understanding of what it means to be redeemed.
The background of this word comes out of the slave market. The Jewish people knew something of slavery and there was a redemption process there among the Jewish people in the Old Testament. In the New Testament we have the Greeks and Romans that knew much about the slave market, and they understood what redemption meant there, so I am going to go with those two contexts and look at these three words that help us understand the meaning . . .
The first word we will look at is depravity. That is kind of a negative start, but it will lay the foundation for a very positive week to come.
We are looking at Romans 3:10-18 and we will find that depravity basically means corrupt. You might hear the term total depravity which is the idea that every aspect of our being is depraved or corrupt. Let’s read Romans:
“as it is written, ‘There is none righteous, not even one; There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God; All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good, There is not even one.’ ‘Their throat is an open grave, With their tongues they keep deceiving,’ ‘The poison of asps is under their lips’; ‘Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness’; ‘Their feet are swift to shed blood, Destruction and misery are their paths, And the path of peace they have not known.’ ‘There is no fear of God before their eyes.’”
That is a very vivid description of depravity. It’s the corruption of every aspect of our being . . .
In this series, we are going to talk about a word from the Lord. We all need a word from the Lord, don’t we? As a matter of fact, a secondary purpose behind all that we are doing in these series is to encourage one another to be in the Word every day. So, if you get up every morning and read this series, that is not enough to really walk with Christ like you should. It’s a starter, like a vitamin pill, or a glass of orange juice in the morning for breakfast. It will get you rolling and maybe encourage you to get further into the Word. It’s a Word from the Lord as we look at scriptures together that will help you to walk with Him. We hope it has been doing that.
Another idea behind these series is that you might develop a habit of meeting with the Lord daily. We need that Word from the Lord. That Word is found in the scriptures alone. God does not speak to us independent of the scriptures. The Holy Spirit has inspired the Word of God and has given us this scripture and the Word that God wants us to have and to know. As we read the Bible, Old or New Testament, whatever genre we are looking at, we are finding God’s Word to us. It is our great privilege to be able to do that. I was speaking to a class recently here at church and reminding one another how wonderful it is that we have a Bible in our hands. We are one of the few people in all of history that can go into our homes and churches and pick up our own personal Bible to read it, study it, and meditate over it. In times past, there was maybe a scroll here or there. Maybe a copy of the word of God that was chained to the pulpit at churches, but people didn’t have their own copies to go home to. If they had anything it was something they had written down themselves, or copied from church, or maybe a fragment here or there. The privilege of having the entire 66 books of scripture as the Word of God to speak to us is a privilege that should never be shunned and should always be enjoyed . . .
We are going to close out our discussion of hell on a very positive note:
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO GO TO HELL!
The Lord Jesus Christ came to save us so that we are rescued from the wrath of God and the judgment that we rightly deserve for our sinfulness. So, we want to talk about that for just a moment. How can you avoid hell and eternal separation from God? How can you avoid the judgment that we rightly deserve?
I often talk about this in four parts so that we get this down well:
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God is Holy. We have a holy, righteous God. The Lord Jesus has come to save us from the wrath of God. God is a holy God. God cannot tolerate the sinfulness of human beings. He cannot and will not populate the Eternal Kingdom with those who have rejected Him. So, we are in a plight that we do not know this holy God and we are sinful people. God is a holy God, but we are not. God is a holy and righteous God, and we are sinners that have rejected Him and want nothing to do with Him.
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Sinful People. We are sinful people who cannot come eternally into the presence of that holy and righteous God. We are sinners. In Ephesians 2:1 it says, “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.” That is the awful picture of our condition before Christ. We are trapped in our sins. We are followers of our own lusts. We are under the thumb of the devil himself and we have no way out. So, this is our dilemma: God is a holy and righteous God, but we are sinners that have rejected Him and want nothing to do with Him.
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Christ and His great mercy. We have a Savior who died in our place for our sins. Ephesians 2:4, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” It would take the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, the holy second member of the Trinity, to rescue us from our own sinfulness. That would require: 1) That Christ, who had never sinned, came to this earth as the perfect, holy Savior. 2) That He always kept the law and the commandments of God. 3) He would go to the cross where He would become our substitute where He would take upon Himself our sin and the wrath and the judgment that was due to us. He would die as our substitute. Die in our place on the cross of Calvary. 4) He would then resurrect from the dead showing once and for all to all who are noticing: whether it’s the Father, the demons or humanity, that He has finished the work for us and done everything necessary for our salvation. Jesus Christ fulfilled every single requirement, and therefore He has taken our place and became our substitute . . .
We continue to look at the issue of hell. We have looked at some false views, word definitions and why people go to hell.
This time, I want to look at what hell is like. We must approach this humbly. We have a number of pictures and teachings, but to actually comprehend hell and what it is really like is no more possible for us on this side of eternity than it is to comprehend heaven. We looked at heaven for several weeks and realize there that though we get pieces of understanding, we still come away with knowing that we don’t know a great deal. I think that is also true of hell. So, we must approach this humbly.
A lot of the talk about hell comes from the lips of Jesus Himself, but I want to look first at one of the passages in the epistles. 2 Thessalonians 1:9, which says, “These,” speaking of the unbelievers, “will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.” This is one of the passages in the epistles that talk about hell. There is not a great number, but here is what we find.
Three things about what hell is like:
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Seems to be a place of eternal destruction. Destruction here does not mean annihilation that we talked about a couple days ago, but eternal wrecking, more or less. The destruction, the destroying of all that matters. It is an eternal thing that is talked about here.
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Eternal separation from the Lord. That is a terrifying thought here that for all of eternity one will not enjoy the presence of God. We know God is omnipresent, so He is everywhere, even in hell. David talks about that, I believe, in Psalm 139. His presence is everywhere, but the saving, loving, and glorious presence is not something that those in hell will ever experience. So, there will be that void of being in the presence and knowing the presence of God in that sense.
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Idea of death. Death means separation, so we are separated from Him forever . . .
We are continuing looking at what the eternal destiny for the unbeliever looks like.
We looked at some false views and some words that are translated in Scripture as hell and the differences in those words.
Our question today is: Why is God going to send people to hell?
We start with this. God is a holy God, and we are sinners. So, the primary reason why people go to hell is because they are unrighteous. They have not been rescued or delivered from their sins. They are in sin. Romans 3:23 says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” So, the Lord cannot populate, and He will not populate heaven with those who are unrighteous, those who are still in their sinfulness and wickedness. That is why Jesus Christ came, of course. He came to save us from our sins and deliver us from our sinfulness and bring us to be with the Lord forever. We will look at that later. Right now, we are looking at why people go to hell. The primary reason is because they are sinners.
If we get more particular about that, what is the sin that condemns us to hell? Is it the sin of the nasty nine? The horrible sins? Is it the sins of not obeying the Ten Commandments? What exactly is the sin that condemns us to hell? I think the answer is broader than a particular sin. The issue is that we have rejected Jesus Christ. The ultimate sin is the rejection of Jesus Christ. In Hebrews 2:3, we read, “how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard.” So, this is a warning to the people that were being written to in the book of Hebrews that if they neglect salvation, if they neglect that which the Lord has provided for them for deliverance from sin, then the ultimate result of that is going to be eternal judgment and eternal punishment. He doesn’t talk about that there.
This is our second session of addressing what happens to the unbeliever when they pass away. Last time we looked at a number of false views not found in Scripture concerning the destiny of the unbeliever. Today, I want to look at some of the key words that are used for the afterlife.
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Sheol. This is a word that is found in the Hebrew and the Old Testament. It is all over the Old Testament. We could go to any number of passages, but the word basically means, the grave or a synonym for death. So, when we talk about people going to Sheol, it is more of a physical thing. It is a death. It’s a grave. It doesn’t give us a lot of insight as to where that person is after death.
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Hades. In the New Testament we come to the word Hades, which is often translated, especially in the King James as, hell. As we will see there is more than one word translated hell, there are three different words in the New Testament. So, we want to distinguish them. Hades is found in places such as Luke 16:22, which is one of the most expansive passages in the New Testament concerning the issue of hell or Hades. It says, “Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom.” Of the number of places in the New Testament that uses the word Hades, often it is a synonym for the term Sheol, the grave or death. We have at least four passages in the New Testament that would give us maybe a different dimension to Hades where there is a spiritual dimension, and this passage here is probably one of the key passages for that. So, we see that the poor man here, Lazarus is gone to be in Abraham’s bosom. We talked about that, last week. We have the rich man here who has gone to Hades and in Hades he is in torment, and he sees Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. So, the Old Testament understanding seemed to be that there was a place called Hades. They only had two compartments, Paradise or Abraham’s bosom, where the believers went and now eventually Hades is where the unbelievers went. So, we find this is a place of judgment. He is being tormented here . . .
It is only fair before we complete the subject of Revelation and heaven to look at what eternity is like for those who rejected Jesus Christ. So, we are going to spend the next five lessons looking at life for eternity for the unbeliever.
I want to start with some false views. People have often and still do try to sidestep the whole issue of eternal punishment and eternal judgment of hell. We understand that because no one really wants to think about anyone going to hell. That is a doctrine we would like to get rid of it would seem and so there have been many attempts to do so by coming up with different theories.
So, I want to mention very quickly five different views not found in Scripture but have been taught often by the church or by those that are maybe not Christians but those who are looking for an escape . . .
As we finish talking about what heaven is like, we are going to look at a little different issue today. That is what happens at the moment when we die. We have been talking mostly about what is the eternal state like, and what it will be like in eternity for us, but everyone throughout history and most of us, if the Lord doesn’t return very soon, will die and then we will not be in the eternal state as such yet since the Lord has not returned, but we will do something. Where will we be and what will happen to us between the moment of our death and the return of Jesus Christ and the eternal state? Where will we be?
According to 2 Corinthians 5:6, it says, “Therefore, being always of good courage and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord – for we walk by faith, not by sight – we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.” The picture we have in the New Testament, that once we are dead physically, our soul goes to be with the Lord. We are at home with the Lord is what this passage of Scripture is teaching. As a matter of fact, this passage, if we could take a little more time talks about us groaning in this life and that even though this life often is very good, and we enjoy it very much, there is something not quite right. We are living in a broken and sinful world and there are always issues and corruptions and problems and so forth. There is something within the heart of the believer that longs for a new home, and longs to be home with the Lord to be with Him forever. That is what he is talking about here.
In Philippians 1:21, Paul says this, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” So, those who might think that at the moment of death there is no more are misguided. Some in religious circles such as the Seventh Day Adventists believe there is a soul sleep so when you die you just sleep until the Lord returns, but that is not the picture we have in Scripture. Paul is saying that, “to live is Christ,” my whole life is wrapped around Jesus Christ, and to die is even better, so that doesn’t fit the picture of soul sleep. Unbelievers of course believe this is the only life we have and when we are dead, we are gone, and we are extinct. Again, we know that not to be true because the revelation of God that talks to us about the afterlife and for the believer - to die is actually gain. So, death shouldn’t scare us . . .
As we think about what heaven is like, I want to remind you in Revelation 21 it talks not only about the new heaven and the new earth and the new Jerusalem. Our primary abode in eternity will be the new Jerusalem on the new earth. The new heaven is a part of that, but new Jerusalem is where we will reside. So, we are looking at what the eternal state will look like.
Our question today is: Who will be there? We have looked at some of these already.
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God. Obviously, we know God is there as the heavens are God’s, and He dwells in the heavens in ways we cannot comprehend. He is bigger than all the universe! The heavens cannot contain Him. At the same time, we find that He will be there and be tabernacling, being with the people on earth during that time according to Revelation 21.
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Christ. Christ will be there. The whole Trinity will be a part of that. Christ will be the representative of the Godhead physically. He will be in physical form as we can understand.
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Angels. The angels will be there. Angels populate heaven and they are there all the time. Throughout all of Scripture we find the angels, these spirit beings that God has created to serve Him and serve us as the elect are there.
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Believers. The believers will be there. Philippians 3:20 says, “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” We have believers there. Our citizenship is already there, we are a part of heaven, but we are just waiting for those days when the Lord will come back and take us to be with Him.
Another question that kind of banks off of this is: What about children or those that maybe because of mental capacity are not able to make a choice about Jesus Christ or place their faith in the Lord because they are infants, too young, or lack the mental capacity, what will become of them? We wish Scripture would give us more details about that, but we only know a little bit. Often, people who believe that children will be in heaven turn to the passage where David’s child dies in 2 Samuel 12:23 and David says, “I will go to him, but he will not return to me,” indicating that he will one day be with that child with the Lord in heaven. That is not a slam dunk however, because many believe he is simply talking about death. So as that child died, he will not come back to life, and so David will one day die and be with that child in death. It is not a slam dunk. It is part of the argument, but it doesn’t do it all for us . . .
We have looked at what we will look like in heaven, our appearance, and our age. Last time we talked about marriage and family relationships in heaven. Today we are going to look in Isaiah 11.
We want to move now to another subject on the minds of a lot of people. That is animals. I don’t know how many people I have talked to that believe or hope that their animal, Fido or Fluffy, or whoever they are attached to will be in heaven with them when they go there. They even talk about that when they die that maybe they are in heaven. Children, of course, are really interested in that as well.
So, the question is: Will there be animals in heaven for eternity? Isaiah 11:6 is the verse that some have turned to in Scripture and say this is what it will be like in heaven, “And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little boy will lead them. Also, the cow and the bear will graze, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child will put his head on the viper’s den. They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” Some have taught that this is a picture of heaven and the eternal state and that we are going to have animals there and that they no longer will be ferocious. They no longer eat meat. They will no longer be vicious to one another. Children can play with the most vicious of animals on earth now and so forth and it will be a very different world and animals will be there. So that is a possibility, but this is a passage that is dealing not with the eternal state, but the Millennial Kingdom. So, this is a time prior to the eternal state prior to the new heaven and the new earth. It is not a description of the eternal state or the heavenly state of the new heaven and the new earth. Some believe this is a prelude to the events in eternity and that what happens in the Millennial Kingdom will kind of bleed over into what is going to happen in the Eternal Kingdom, just more perfected. We find here that even though these animals and so forth are on the earth at this time that they are going to die and decay and that would not happen in eternity . . .
We continue looking at what eternity will be like for us. The question we are addressing is what will heaven be like? We are looking at various topics on that subject. Today is marriage. This is going to kind of bank off of what we did last time concerning our appearance and our relationships in heaven. Marriage is an interesting one.
In the gospel of Matthew 22, the Sadducees, which is a sect of Jews who didn’t believe in the resurrection, thought they had a perfect way of tripping up Jesus. They were going to ask Him about who would be married to a particular woman in heaven because she went through seven husbands. So, they elaborate this story, obviously not a true story, but she married a man, he died, and she married another man and went through seven of them. I don’t know about you, but if I was number six or seven, I would be a little nervous about being involved with this woman, but it is just a made-up story. So, they get to the seventh one and he dies as well and then they ask the question in Matthew 22:28, “In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had married her.” So, they really thought they had Jesus pinned, because she couldn’t be married to seven different men. So, if there is a resurrection and both the husband and the wife is resurrected, who is she going to live with for eternity. Obviously, Jesus was up for the occasion as He always was, and He turns it back on them in Matthew 22:29, “You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God.” The fundamental problem they had is that they didn’t understand Scripture and they didn’t understand the power of God. They had too much of a human idea of God who they apparently didn’t think had the power to truly resurrect people from the dead. He calls them out on that. They don’t understand Scripture because the Scripture is clear about the resurrection of the dead . . .
We have been looking at the subject of what is heaven like and that includes not only heaven but the eternal state that the Lord will take us to when we leave this life. So, that is the subject. We are looking at different issues wrapped around that. I think that most people are confused about heaven and a lot of people aren’t even very happy about going there. I think back to reading the book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. This is meant to be a humorous point in the storyline where Miss Watson had been talking to Huck about heaven and he says:
"Miss Watson told me all about Heaven. She said all a body had to do there was to go around all day with a harp and sing, forever. So, I didn’t think much of it. But I never said so. I asked Miss Watson if she reckoned Tom Sawyer would go to Heaven, and she said, “Not by a long sight!” I was glad about that because I wanted Tom and me to be together."
I think that although that is humorous and probably was Mark Twain’s view, I don’t know that it is an unusual view for most people. I think a lot of people figure heaven is a bore, they wouldn’t want to go there and if they were there then their friends wouldn’t be there. So, I think that is the attitude of many people. That is certainly not the attitude of Scripture and the writers of Scripture. So, we are looking at the subject on heaven and the eternal state.
The question on the agenda today is: How old will we be in heaven and what will we look like? This is something that comes up quite often. How old will you be in heaven? What would be your appearance in heaven in that regard? What we find out in Scripture is that there is no answer to that. No picture whatsoever of what that looks like. What we do have is 1 Corinthians 15:51, “Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable and this mortal must put on immortality.” So that is kind of the essence of what we have in the scriptures. We are going to be changed. We are not going to look like we do now as such. Apparently, there is connection with that, but exactly what we look like we don’t know. We don’t know how old we will appear . . .
We are going to finish out our discussion today of what is heaven like with the question: What will we be like in heaven? Will we have physical bodies, and if so what kind of bodies will they be?
We will start in John 5:28, it says, “Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.” He is speaking here about the resurrection. All will be resurrected, whether you are a believer or a nonbeliever. Whether you know Christ or not, you will be resurrected and you will be given a new body.
In Philippians 3:21, it says this to the Christian, “who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.” We are going to have transformed bodies that are in some fashion conformed to His body as well.
The central passage on what we will be like in heaven when it comes to our physical form is found in 1 Corinthians 15. This is the key passage in Scripture on resurrection. Let’s look at a few things here starting with 1 Corinthians 15:35, “But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?” Paul is not too excited about that question. He says, “You fool! That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies; and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God gives it a body just as He wished, and to each of the seeds a body of its own.” So, we plant a seed in the ground, but what comes out of that seed does not look like the seed, it looks like something else. So, the body as it dies and is resurrected will be a body that will be in connection with the body that passed away, but at the same time it will be different . . .
We are having a little mini-series on heaven. Our question today is: What will heaven be like for the redeemed? We are not asking what heaven is like now, but what it will be like then. We are going to look at what we will be doing there in heaven, in glory with the Lord today.
In Revelation 19, we pick up on the issue of worship. One of the primary features in heaven is the worship of God. We find here in Revelation 19:1-6, “After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, ‘Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; because his judgments are true and righteous; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and He has avenged the blood of His bond-servants on her.’ And a second time they said, ‘Hallelujah! Her smoke rises up forever and ever.’ And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, “Amen, Hallelujah!” And a voice came from the throne, saying, ‘Give praise to our God, all you His bondservants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.’ Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, ‘Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.’” What we have is a picture, which is very indicative of other scriptures, that the heavens are filled with the praise of God. It is a great worship time of the Lord. Some have said if you don’t enjoy worshiping God, you won’t enjoy heaven. I think there is some truth to that, but I also know we are very limited creatures here on earth, even as regenerate, children of God. We are easily distracted. Our hearts are often cold. Our minds are not able to focus as we should. That does not mean we do not love the Lord. It does not mean we do not worship Him, but our worship is always tainted by the flesh that we still live in. So, don’t get to upset if you are not a person who just absolutely adores to worship all the time. At the same time, let us not minimize the importance of worshiping our great God. There is nothing more valuable or wonderful than worshiping the One who deserves it, and that is the Lord Himself. Our worship there will be perfect worship. It will be pure worship like we see reflected in scriptures such as these. The true worship of God. Also, there will be fellowship there in Revelation 19:9, it says, “Then he said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ And he said to me, “These are true words of God.” . . .
We are discussing the issue of what is heaven like. The subject I would like to address this time is: Is there a difference between the Millennial Kingdom and the Eternal Kingdom? I believe there is a major difference, and we find that in Revelation 20.
It says in Revelation 20:1, “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years,” as we continue down through this passage all the way to Revelation 20:7, we see consistently mentioned that this kingdom will last for one thousand years. In the Old Testament there was a great deal of information, huge sections of Scripture, dealing with what the Kingdom Age, or Millennial Kingdom, would look like. There would be the restoration of the nation of Israel in the land. There would be the believers who were Gentiles joining them. There would be Jesus sitting on the throne of David. There would be longevity in which people would live for much, much longer than they live now. There would be prosperity. The farms could not hardly hold all the produce that is being produced and on and on. It is a reversing of much of the effects of the curse on the planet. That is the Millennial Kingdom, only here in Revelation does it tell us how long it will last, a thousand years, which is of course where we get our word millennium. That is not a big issue unless you decide there is no such thing as a millennium and that the Kingdom Age and all those passages and sections in Revelation and the Old Testament are to be spiritualized. Then you get a blending of the Millennial Kingdom and the Eternal Kingdom that cannot be sustained if you read the Bible literally.
Randy Alcorn has written a helpful book on heaven. It is very large. Then he wrote an abridged version of that, and it is very good in many places. I am not exactly sure of his understanding of eschatology, but Randy Alcorn, makes some serious errors in applying the Millennial passages to the Eternal Kingdom time so that he takes a lot of Scripture that applies only to that thousand-year reign, and he moves that into the Eternal kingdom, and it is quite confusing at times. If you read those books, they are good books, but make sure you notice that he is using Scripture sometimes out of the context of which they are given thereby telling us that there are some things that are not necessarily true. The Millennial Kingdom Age is a physical kingdom. It will be on earth . . .
As we are looking at heaven and our eternal abode, what we are going to answer today is: Where will we live forever? That is a subject that has come up a lot lately. Some have gotten a little bit testy about this. There have been a lot of books and articles in recent times telling us that we will not live in heaven for eternity. The books say that we will live on the earth, and we should quit talking so much about going to heaven when we die. It’s almost like let’s not worry about heaven because after all we are going to live on the earth forever and so let’s talk about that. Too many Christians, according to these particular authors, just want to get out of this place and get to heaven where it is obviously a much better place to be. So, they see that as escapism.
Let’s look at some of this. Some of it is true and some of it is untrue. The true part is this: We are going to live on the earth forever. It talks about that in Revelation 21:2 when he says, “And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them.’” So, we have a picture here of the new Jerusalem which I believe will be our primary abode in eternity, coming down out of heaven to the earth and it will rest on the earth and be on the earth forever. So, in the big picture, these people who are concerned about these things are right. We will live on the new earth forever. So, that will be where we are.
On the other hand, if I die before the Lord returns, I want to go to heaven, don’t you? We think back throughout the centuries of Christians who have been dying for hundreds and hundreds of years. Where does our spirit go before Christ returns and we are resurrected? The spirit goes to heaven. I’m quite interested in heaven, and I want to know as much as I can about heaven. When I die, if the Lord has not returned first, that is where I will be, and I want to know something about that . . .
In our Wonderful Day in the Lord, we are going to look at the issues about heaven. We have been looking at the book of Revelation for a long time and we looked at the information the Lord gives us about the future and heaven and the eternal kingdom. Those are very important things we have looked at and we are going to look at it a little deeper now and go back and look at questions people have in their minds. I occasionally receive questions along this line and perhaps our series together will answer some of those questions for you. If we don’t, maybe you can send me some emails, and we can look at some other questions. We will spend at least ten lessons on this, so hopefully we will cover most things.
We are going to answer the question of: What is Heaven Like?
I want to begin with 2 Corinthians 12:2, to discuss even the subject of heaven. Paul says, “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago – whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows – such a man was caught up to the third heaven.”
In ancient times, the world saw the heavens in three different categories:
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First heaven. There was the atmospheric heaven, the heaven around us, the atmosphere perhaps including the moon and the sun. That would be part of our immediate atmosphere.
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Second heaven. This would be the stars and the planets, far beyond us that of course the ancient world saw and studied at great length. That would basically be the universe as we understand it.
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Third heaven. The heaven that Paul is talking about here is a different kind of heaven. It’s a heaven in which we understand as the centralized abode of God. It is not a physical place . . .
I hope you have enjoyed our study through the book of Revelation. It has been a joy for me. I trust there has been much that you can understand and apply to your life. We come today to the very final words of the book of Revelation and the very final words of the scriptures.
We pick up in Revelation 22:17 with a final invitation, “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.” Then He moves on to Revelation 22:18 and speaks of a curse, it says, “I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book.” So, He is talking about Revelation. “If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.” This is a very grave warning, isn’t it? He is talking about the book of Revelation in particular. He is saying that the Lord has given to us His revelation of exactly what He wants us to know, and He has given His final words of prophecy and much in teaching along the way. He gives us a powerful warning that if we add or take away from this inspired Word, that which God has given us here, then you are facing some very serious consequences. In Revelation 22:18, “God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book.” Recall the plagues here are severe. We have all sorts of the most horrible things imaginable, and He says anyone that would tamper with the Word of God, with the book of Revelation, they are going to face those plagues in their lives as well. In Revelation 18 he talks about taking away from this individual their part in the tree of life and the holy city which are written in Revelation. So, He talked to us about the holy city, the new Jerusalem, and the tree of life. He warns that you are going to lose your part in that if you tamper with the Word of God.
We are headed down the homestretch of the book of Revelation now. We have been studying this book for several months looking at the details and promises and prophecies and all that God has for us here.
We come to Revelation 22:16-17 today. Once again, we are focusing on an angel, “I, Jesus have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches.” Now, earlier in Revelation 1 He talks about His angel, and earlier in Revelation 22 He talked about His angel. Once again, He is speaking about a particular angel. That angel is never given a name or title except for “My angel.” Yet, it seems there is a predominate angel that is carrying forth this whole prophecy throughout this book even though there are many other angels seemingly involved at bringing forth other prophecies as well. There is, however, one in particular that stands out. So, “I, Jesus have sent My angel,” He said, “to testify,” meaning witness or explain or give, “to you these things for the churches.” This is addressing the churches. It is interesting that up until now the church has not been mentioned since Revelation 3. The book of Revelation started out talking much about the church. Revelation 2-3 are all about the church and giving messages to seven literal churches that were in existence in the first century. So, each church is identified by name. The message is given to that church and so forth, so it is very heavy, very dominate talking about the church. Then in Revelation 4-5, we shift from the church to a heavenly scene. Then we move on to Revelation 6-22 speaking about end time things beginning with the coming of the antichrist, the Tribulation Period, the Second Coming of Christ, the Millennial Kingdom, binding and release of Satan and so forth. Now, we come to these final messages, and He is now once again returning to the churches. Many have seen in this, at least an implied witness, to the fact that the church does not exist during the time that is being explained in Revelation 6-21 because this is a time of the Tribulation Period and all that goes with that. The church, perhaps, almost certainly is mentioned by calling it the “bride of Christ” in Revelation 21, but now by name it is called the church . . .
We are looking today at the final messages that Jesus leaves His people, and we begin in Revelation 22:13 with a comment by Christ Himself that says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” All three of these titles have been used throughout the book of Revelation in reference both to the Father and the Son. Depending on the context, you will find both being called these things. So, let’s look at them very quickly. We know Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. The book of Revelation was written in Greek, so it was the common language at the time. People would know what that meant. So, Jesus is the beginning and the end and everything in between. He encompasses all things. He reinforces that by saying the first and the last. A very similar way of saying the same thing, but He is the One who is first of all things. He is preeminent over all things. He is preeminent over creation, the church, humanity, angels, and everything. He is the creator of all things as well. So, being the first, He is the one who created all things that followed. He is also the last. He is the One who is going to bring everything to an end. We found in Revelation 21 that He is going to destroy the present heavens and earth and create a new heavens and earth. He is the last. He brings it all to a conclusion. Then we have the beginning and the end. Again, very similar overlapping ideas, but in case anybody missed it, He is the first of all things and He is the ending of all things. He is the sustainer of all things. That is Jesus Christ. What a beautiful description of who He is, and this flows all the way back to Revelation 1 where these kinds of titles are being used.
We move on to another blessing. This is the seventh blessing, found in Revelation. Seven different times it says, someone is blessed for a particular reason. So, we have one of those here in Revelation 22:14, “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city.” If we go back to Revelation 1:3 we find the first blessing that says, “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.” . . .
For some time now we have systematically gone through the book of Revelation and looking at the highlights and some details along the way as well. We have come to this last chapter. The last messages the Lord wants to leave with His people before He closes the scriptures, and that would be the last message that He would give us before His return.
We want to pick that up in Revelation 22:10, “And he said to me, ‘Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.” It is interesting when He says this to John to look at the parallel passage in Daniel 12:9, and you might recall that the book of Daniel is very similar in some ways. It is kind of the Old Testament counterpart to the book of Revelation. Daniel is receiving visions and revelations. He is proclaiming prophecies of the end times here. We come to Daniel 12, where Daniel is writing down and recording the prophecies he is receiving from God. When we come to Daniel 12:9, he is getting ready to record one final prophecy that would have to do with the end times. He is told in Daniel 12:9, “He said, ‘Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time.’” So, Daniel is not allowed to record the message, the revelation, the vision that God had given him here. Now we come back to Revelation 22:10 and John is writing, and I think almost certainly that now John is going to record the message that Daniel was not allowed to record hundreds of years prior to this. John is told, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.” Don’t seal it! Write it down! The time is near! When Daniel wrote his prophecies there were still many centuries before Revelation would be recorded. Now, the time is near, and God wants us to hear what He has to say. So, there is a contrast there.
Moving to Revelation 22:11 where it says, “Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and the one who is holy, still keep himself holy.” This is kind of a curious verse. Especially the first part when it talks about people that are doing wrong and unrighteous acts and so forth. The Lord says to those people just continue on the way you are living and continue to do what you are doing . . .
If you had one message to leave the ones you love with just a few moments to tell them what you wanted them to remember after you are gone and what to look forward to, what would you say to them? We might have a lot of different ideas on that, but when the Lord is closing His revelation in Scripture with Revelation 22, He has one simple message that He will come back to several times: He is coming, and He is coming quickly!
In Revelation 22:7, it says, “And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book.” He repeats that same message in Revelation 22:12 where he says the same thing and then once again in Revelation 22:20. “Behold I am coming quickly.” So, that is the message that He wants to leave to His people. To people like you and I who are looking forward to His coming is to know that He is coming, and He is coming quickly and that should shape the way we live our lives.
So, what would you do if you believe that He is coming quickly?
Let’s look at Revelation 22:6, “And he said to me, ‘These words are faithful and true’’; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must soon take place.” It is interesting how often in this latter portion of Revelation 22 that we are circling back to the very first words in this book. For example, right here it talks about this angel and this angel is going to “show His bond-servants the things which must soon take place.” We go over to Revelation 1:1 and that says the same thing, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place.” He started with that message, and He is ending with that message. Apparently, this is even the same angel. There are a lot of angels that show up in the book of Revelation. The first angel in Revelation 1 is apparently the same angel He sends to conclude the book in Revelation 22 . . .
We are going to continue looking at what we know in Scripture about our eternal existence. There are odds and ends throughout the Bible and especially in Revelation 21-22 on that subject. I want to summarize very quickly nine things that we know for certain about our eternal life that is found in Revelation and some other places.
Here are nine things we know for certain will happen in our eternal state:
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We will have a life of fellowship with Him. We see that in Revelation 22:4 as we look at our personal relationship with Him. It says, “they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.” We also see this in 1 Corinthians 13:12, it says, “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face-to-face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.” We also see this in 1 John 3:2, which says, “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.”
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It’s a life of rest. We see this in Revelation 14:13, “And I heard a voice from heaven, saying “Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.” Other scriptures tie into that. It will be a time of rest. Not a time of which we do nothing. As we see, we serve Him and reign with Him, but nevertheless it is a time that we rest from the labors that we have done in a broken and polluted and corrupt world.
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Life of full knowledge. 1 Corinthians 13:12 again speaks of a couple of things, but certainly that in eternity we will see Him face-to-face and know Him fully and be fully known.
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Life of holiness. Revelation 21:2 says, “And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.” We will have a life that is holy in the new Jerusalem. A life that is free from the sins and the corruptions that we have known and experienced all our lives. So, it is a life of holiness. The holy Savior is there, and the holy throne is there. All that is holy, righteous, and pure is there and we will live in that environment forever.
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Life of joy. Revelation 21:4 says, “and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” All these kinds of things will be no more. We have a life of joy. Life that is joyful in a way that we have never experienced before. A fullness of joy. A joy with no caveats or exceptions. A full rejoicing wrapped around Jesus Christ.
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Life of service. Revelation 22:3 says, “There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him.” Jesus speaks about that in some of His parables. We will serve the Lord in capacities that would probably not make sense to us if we knew about them now. We don’t know how they fit or how it works, but we know we will have the privilege of serving Him in whatever way He wants us to serve Him forever.
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Life of abundance. Revelation 22:6 we see we have a life of abundance. It says, “And he said to me, “These words are faithful and true”; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must soon take place.” This is abundance. These are the things He is going to now show us that are ours. Overflowing in the abundance of Him . . .
We are enjoying the study of the book of Revelation, and we have worked our way through to Revelation 22 and we are looking at the eternal state and what the Lord has provided us for eternity. In the first three verses we have seen some of the things we will enjoy in the new Jerusalem. We have the tree of life, the river of life, and the throne of God and we see that the curse has been removed. This time, we are going to look at something a little different in Revelation 22:4-5 because we are going to talk about not what is there, but some of the relationships that are involved with our eternal state.
In Revelation 22:4 we begin with a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, “they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.” We are talking about seeing the Lamb. Seeing Christ. I don’t think we are talking about seeing the Father here. Nowhere in Scripture does anyone see God in all His glory. It tells us that no person could see God and live. It says, He lives in indescribable light and so I do not think we will ever see the Father in His full essence. The Lamb will represent the Trinity. The Lamb, Jesus Christ, was incarnate and we believe He will continue to have a physical body throughout all of eternity, but as Christians, right now, we do not see Him face-to-face. Instead, right now, we see Him through faith and Scripture. We get those descriptions of Him but, we do not see Him. None of us have ever seen Him despite some stories of people that claim they have. I do not believe anyone alive has ever seen the face of Jesus Christ. So, when it says here that we will see His face, it is a picture of an intimacy we can have with Him that we have not enjoyed on earth. When we see someone face-to-face it is like a friendship. It is like a reality that we know somebody. We have this different connection than in any other format. When we make a telephone call, we hear their voice and that is sufficient for some things, but to see somebody face-to-face and eye-to-eye is a different piece of work. So, we see that we are going to have an intimate, personal relationship with God through the Lamb, through Jesus Christ, at that point. It says also that His name will be on our foreheads. This picture has been found throughout the book of Revelation, so now we have a mark of ownership from the Lamb on us. His name is on our foreheads . . .
We looked at the first verses of Revelation 22 and looking at what God has planned for us for all of eternity. We have already seen that there is a river of life flowing from the river of God in Revelation 22:1 and a tree of life in Revelation 22:2, so life is predominant. We are going to have eternal life in the presence of the Lord forever if we know Christ as our Savior and that life is going to be a life where satisfaction is guaranteed by the river of life, and we are sustained by the tree of life.
In Revelation 22:3 we have some other depictions of our life in eternity and in the new Jerusalem. Much like earlier in Revelation 21, the glories of eternal life are so precious and wonderful that it is hard to even explain what it is like. So, we have some negatives here actually. It says, “There will no longer be any curse.” So, there is the picture of the curse. What he says here is that there is no longer any curse. What would the curse be? We will look a little later at Genesis and the cursing of humanity. If we go to Revelation 21:4, he has talked about this before, he says, “and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” So, part of the curse is sadness, heartbreak, pain, suffering, and death. All these kinds of things are part of the life of humanity. It is how we live. It is the things we face because of the fallenness of ourselves because of sin. Those things are no longer going to be around. All those things are going to be removed in eternity. That is what he says in Revelation 21. He comes back to it here now in Revelation 22:3 and says once again there will no longer be any curse. So, I think that is what he is talking about at this point.
We want to go back to Genesis 3 now, and look at the original curse that we find here in Genesis 3:17-19 where we see a bit more of this curse, “Then to Adam He said, ‘Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life . . .
Last time we looked at the river of life in Revelation 21:1, and learned the river symbolizes the life that God gave us. It is the spring of life that Jesus spoke of in John 4, and it flows from the throne of God in the new Jerusalem.
In Revelation 22:2, we see the tree of life, “On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” Is this a literal tree or a symbolic tree and could it not be both? Perhaps it is a true literal tree, and it seems to have that function. We are told that it bears fruit every month, and the leaves it says is for the healing of the nations. It has some kind of a healing or a spiritual component to it. It bears fruits. When we think of fruit, we think of consumption of food, and we think of that which nourishes us. The water of life quenches our eternal thirst, and the tree of life then also nourishes us eternally.
We need to go to the beginning of the Bible, and we find that the Lord had planted numbers of trees in the Garden, but two trees in particular Genesis 2 talks about:
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The tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Adam and Eve were forbidden to eat from that tree, but they went ahead and ate from it anyway, and that caused a great deal of problems for them.
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The tree of life. Then we have in Genesis 2:9, the tree of life that was spoken of even earlier, it says, “Out of the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”
So, we have these two predominate trees. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Adam and Eve were forbidden to eat from that tree. They ate from that tree and brought about the fall of humanity and the curse on humanity. We will look at that later. There is also another tree there. It is called the tree of life. Its purpose is not defined right here, but it is a tree, and it is symbolic of life indicating that this tree has some substance that can give life. It is a life-giving tree of some sort.
We are looking at the last book of the Bible. In Revelation 22 we are looking at the eternal state, the city of new Jerusalem and what life will be like there. There are some details found here in Revelation 22 that are found nowhere else in Scripture. Although, as we will see going through these verses there is a draw from other scriptures, both New and Old Testament, to some of the pictures and symbols we will see here. As we jump in, we do want to say that we are not sure always how literally to take some of these symbols. The book of Revelation is about literal truth, and much that is here is very literal, but there are a lot of symbols in the book of Revelation as well. We always have to be very careful and humble in the interpretation of symbols and these types of things. As we look at these, perhaps there is overlap on occasion. For example, we look at the river of life today. So, there is apparently a literal river called the river of life in the new Jerusalem, but there is also symbolism attached to that river of life. So, we try our best to put these together realizing that we have to be humble. We may not have all of the pieces, but we will go as far as we can.
Let’s look at Revelation 22:1, John says, “Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb.” So, we see this river of life and it is coming, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. The throne is singular implying both God and the Lamb, Christ, is on that throne. So, the rulers of eternity. The ruler of the new Jerusalem is the sovereign Lord who is represented here by both the Father and the Son. It speaks of this water of life. It is clear as crystal coming from the throne of God. So, what is this water of life? The first thing we know is that it has to do with life. Scripture speaks a lot of life. People want life. You want life. I want life. We all want life now. We want a life worth living. We want to live, and we also want eternal life. Even those that reject the things of God want to know about their eternal destiny. They want to believe that there will be some life beyond the grave which will really represent a life worth living . . .
We conclude our study of Revelation 21 with the life in the city of God, the new Jerusalem, in the eternal state by looking at the central person in this whole text, which is the Lamb of God. We have mentioned before how often the word “Lamb,” in reference to Christ, is used in the book of Revelation. It is the predominate use of the word throughout Scripture. I am not going to try to interpret each of these pictures, but what I want to do is just show you how prominent the Lamb of God is here.
We start with Revelation 21:9 and we find at the end it says, “Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” That is the statement concerning the new Jerusalem. It’s called the wife of the Lamb. Earlier when we looked at that, we saw that this bride seems to be both the city of God, new Jerusalem, and the people of God that are in the new Jerusalem. So, placing that together we find that the bride of the Lamb, is the church itself and those that inhabit the new Jerusalem.
Then in Revelation 21:14, it talks about the walls of the city, “And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.” So, we know the apostles from the gospels. There were twelve of them who are apostles of the Lamb. Some people debate on how many apostles there are and who the apostles are, but this tells us there are twelve apostles of the Lamb. These are very special apostles that are identified here as apostles of the Lamb.
In Revelation 21:22, we find the object of worship is the Lamb, “I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.” It does speak of the Father here in distinction to the Son, in that regard, but it calls the Son here the Lamb. The one who died for our sins, the Lamb of God. They are its sanctuary together, this Holy Trinity, and it speaks here particularly of the Father and the Son, or the Lamb, are its sanctuary. So, the central worship of the people of God is wrapped around this sanctuary that is composed of the Father and of the Lamb.
This time we are going to explore together life in the eternal city of God. Revelation 21-22 gives us most of the information that the Bible gives us about that. It is very interesting.
We are looking at Revelation 21:22, “I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.” So, this is going over a few details that we find about the city of God. The first is, there is no temple, or sanctuary, in it because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the sanctuary. We find that while the temple in the Millennial Kingdom is very prominent in the Old Testament. As a matter of fact, Ezekiel 40-48 detail the Millennial Kingdom in very close and clear detail and goes on and on about it. Here we find no temple because there is no necessity for a temple because at the center of the worship going on in eternity is the Lord God and the Lamb. We are going to look at the Lamb a little bit more tomorrow, but I want you to note that the Lord God Almighty, All Omnipotent, the Almighty God is at the center of this worship. A sanctuary as a structure, a temple, is unnecessary because the Lord Himself is there and we will be worshiping Him there. So, there is no sanctuary, but the Lord is there. The Lord God Almighty in particular.
Then it goes on to give some other interesting details in Revelation 21:23, it says, “And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.” We find kind of an interesting thing. It says there is no need for the sun or the moon because the light that will illuminate this whole city will be the glory of the Lord Himself, and the Lamb is the lamp. This does not necessarily mean there is no moon or sun. As a matter of fact, earlier in Revelation 21 it says that there is a new heaven and a new earth, and if we are talking about the atmospheric heavens then there would be stars and planets and suns and moons and so forth like we have today. So, there could be a new sun and a new moon and all of that, but it is not necessary. The light is not necessary because the glory of the Lord Himself will be so bright that this whole city is illuminated by that glory . . .
We are continuing our study of the new Jerusalem in Revelation 21. Before I jump into that, I would mention to you that there is a small little Bible called the Legacy Standard Bible. It is being put out by Master’s Seminary and the professors there. Only the New Testament and the Psalms and Proverbs have been translated so far. The rest of the translation is coming out later. It is a revision of the 1995 New American Standard Version. So far, I really like what I have found in this translation. So, I just thought I would mention that to you in the event you are looking for a new translation of the Bible to read or study.
Let’s look at Revelation 21:15, “The one who spoke with me had a gold measuring rod to measure the city, and its gates and its wall. The city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as the width; and he measured the city with the rod, fifteen hundred miles; its length and width and height are equal.” What we are looking at here is the size of the city itself. Because of the detail, because of being so specific there is no particular reason to believe that these numbers are not accurate and that he is just being symbolic in some fashion. So, as far as we can tell, he is being literal here and he is giving us the size of the new Jerusalem. The new Jerusalem has come down to sit on the new earth according to Revelation 21:2-3. As it came to sit down on the new earth, it encompasses a large section of the new earth. We are given that detail here. If it was to come down on America, it would be large enough to go all the way from the Atlantic Ocean all the way to the Mississippi River. Throughout all that section of the United States, so not quite half, but maybe a little over a third of the size of the United States. On top of that we find that it is that same height. So, it is built in the form of a cube, pyramid or a sphere. We don’t know that for sure. So, whatever it is, it is massive. It is huge. It is the abode of all redeemed people of all ages. This will be our home. That does not mean that you and I will not be able to travel throughout the rest of God’s new heaven and earth. I certainly think we will. I think that will be one of the great joys of eternity that we will be able to travel throughout the whole universe and see wonders and glories that can only be imagined by us now. Our home base seems to be the new Jerusalem . . .
We are enjoying right now the study concerning the new Jerusalem, the place that you and I, if we know Christ as our Savior, will live forever. We are having some pictures here of what that looks like. Obviously, the details are the best the Lord can give to human beings who cannot comprehend the glories of heaven. What we have seen is that we are going to be living in a wonderful and beautiful and glorious place. That is what the Lord is describing for us. A place of security, worship, and the Lamb is at the very center of all things. It is just a wonderful, wonderful place.
We left off with Revelation 21:14, and we saw the walls and gates of the city. We have seen Israel involved, the angels involved, and the apostles of the Lamb involved. We do not know many things, but I want to take us today to two texts of Scripture that give us some insight to what is going on here.
The first is in Hebrews 11:8-10. This great chapter in the book of Hebrews is concerning those in the Old Testament that please God by living by faith. One of the key characters there is Abraham of course. It says this about Abraham and really fits with what we are talking about in the book of Revelation. Follow me as we read this, “By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” Hebrews 11:10 speaks to where we are today. We know that Abraham was living in a foreign land. The Lord brought him out. As far as we can tell from Scripture, especially Acts 7, Abraham was not a follower of the Lord. He was not a worshiper of God. God called him from his paganism and from his land and brought him into what we call the Promised Land, and said, look if you will believe in Me and trust in Me and you will obey Me, then I will give you all of this land that your foot will trod upon. Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness the scriptures tell us. He went out throughout all this land and God kept His promise. So, Abraham obeyed God. God gave Him a promise of the land, but in Hebrews 11:10 it goes beyond that . . .
We are starting to understand a little bit about our eternal state that we will be in forever if we know the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior. We are looking at the new Jerusalem in Revelation 21. Some details are given to us about where we will live forever if we know Christ. Some things we will see today beginning with Revelation 21:9 and going through to Revelation 22:3, seven different times “the Lamb,” referencing the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, is mentioned. Seven times in those verses, so the single feature here is the Lamb. All the other things we are looking at are the physical details and so forth. The central figure is the Lamb of God who purchased us by His blood that we might be His. There are a lot of names for Christ in Scripture. Lamb is found in a few places, but primarily in the book of Revelation. So, it is a picture and reminder of how it is that we are here - only because Jesus Christ was the sacrificial Lamb who died in our place. So, it is appropriate as we move into the eternal kingdom of God that we realize why we are there. I trust that for all of eternity we will never get over the fact that we are with Him, with God, with Christ, forever and ever because of what Jesus Christ has done for us.
As we look at the details starting in Revelation 21:12, we are going to look at the walls and the gates of this city that is being described for us here. We have already seen in Revelation 21:11 that it is beautiful. It is like “crystal-clear jasper.” Revelation 21:12 tells us, “It had a great and high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names were written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel.” Keep in mind that walls in ancient times, unlike today, walls were used primarily for protection. We don’t have that kind of system today. To keep the enemy out, the walls were necessary in these cities. Otherwise, it would be overrun by all sorts of armies and bandits and so forth. So, walls were necessary, and so the picture here is the protection that God gives His people. Once we are there, there is nothing that could ever harm us or bring us out of the city of God. In no sense could we ever lose our eternal Salvation. There is a protection that is signified by these walls. Then there are twelve gates, and the gates were the most vulnerable places of cities along the walls because those were the places most easily broken into.
Greetings! We began looking at the new Jerusalem, our abode in the eternal state in Revelation 21 last time. We are excited about looking at this. There are details that the Lord gives us about this place that we will live that we will look at for the next several times. There is nothing quite like this in the rest of Scripture. We have pictures of the Millennial Kingdom in much of the Old Testament that tells us what life is like in the Old Testament in the Kingdom Age to come, but that precedes the eternal state. We have very little about this, so we are excited about looking into it. What we are going to look at today is the beauty of the new Jerusalem. That seems to be the attention being given here in Revelation 21.
In Revelation 21:10, it says, “And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper.” We are getting a lot of likes here. You will see the word, like over and over. We take this to be a comparison of sorts of something we know with something we cannot probably understand. So, we are not necessarily saying these features of the new Jerusalem are crystal-clear jasper, but it’s like it. It is the best that the writers of the New Testament writing to the minds of human beings can come up with. So, keep that in mind as we go through. What we do see featured is the beauty of the new Jerusalem.
Also, as we go back, we find that in Revelation 21:10, we are at the fourth major vision of the book of Revelation, each starting with this phrase, “in the Spirit.” So, I want to travel back and look at the other three quickly this time. Look at Revelation 1:10, we find the very first time this is used when it says this, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet.” So, that is the first major vision given to John. He is going to see some wonderful things of the glories of Christ, and he is going to also hear the message that Jesus gives to the seven churches in Revelation 2-3. That is the first vision that he is given. The next one is found in Revelation 4:2, it says, “Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne.” . . .
We are beginning to look at some of the glories of our eternal state in what is called here the new Jerusalem in Revelation 21.
In Revelation 21:9, it says, “Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and spoke with me, saying, ‘Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.’” This is a beautiful term right here as we move into this description of where we will live for all of eternity. There is a good contrast here. if you go back to Revelation 17:1, we find maybe this very same angel and almost identical verbiage in this verse, but there are two different pronouncements. In Revelation 17:1, it says, “Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters.” Maybe this is the same angel. It appears to be. He is making a pronouncement back in Revelation 17:1 and this pronouncement has to do with the judgment of the great harlot which is probably the spiritual aspect of the kingdom of the antichrist. So, the Lord is going to judge this kingdom of the antichrist beginning with the spiritual aspect of it, and then eventually to the economic aspect in Revelation 18. So, this is a pronouncement of judgment upon the antichrist and his kingdom. Now we go back to Revelation 21:9 and we see perhaps the same angel and it starts out the same way. Notice, however, the vastly different pronouncement here, “Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” He is going to show us what is called earlier the new Jerusalem which is the place where we will spend eternity and it will be inhabited by those who know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and the angels that the Lord has created. It will be that place that he is going to describe for us.
There is not a whole lot in Scripture dealing with heaven and the eternal state. Perhaps because we would not appreciate it or comprehend it. If you told a sixyear-old boy that one day he was going to marry and be a father and be in love with a woman and so forth, that little boy probably would not appreciate that. As a matter of fact, he might see that as rather repulsive because at that stage they do not understand the joys of a good marriage . . .
This today is very much a wonderful day in the Lord! We begin to get a picture of what life will be like for all of eternity for those that know Christ as Lord and Savior starting in Revelation 21:5. It’s a wonderful picture beyond our comprehension, but we do get glimmers and peeks of what it will be like.
Look at Revelation 21:5, “And He who sits on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.’” All things are going to be new. There are not going to be any leftovers or any old taints of sin. It is all new. It is all different and as a matter of fact, in Revelation 21:6 it says, “Then He said to me, ‘It is done.’” All this destruction and all that has tried to disrupt the Lord and His people, and all these years is now over. What was lost at the Garden of Eden has now been regained. It is done! The battles are over. Sin has been destroyed. Satan is in the lake of fire and all those who have rejected Christ are also separated from Him. So, it is done!
Revelation 21:6 continues, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.” Christ describes Himself as the “Alpha and Omega,” the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. The beginning and the end. That leads to His offer. The offer of quenching the spiritual thirst of all who come to Him for the waters of life without cost. This is a metaphor that goes back into the Old Testament. Think of Isaiah 55 that uses the same picture of Jesus with the woman at the well. In John 4, we also see very similar things in some of Jesus’ pictures. This is not brand new. It brings the threads all together, and He is going to give to those who thirst the water of life so they can have eternal life. It costs nothing! It cost Christ the cross, but it doesn’t cost us anything except to receive it. It says in Revelation 21:7, “He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.” We are going to receive these things as an inheritance because we know Him. Because we are in Him, we will receive all these things and He will be our God and we will be His son . . .
Finally, what a relief it is, we are going to look at the eternal state, the eternal kingdom! Revelation 21-22 are the fullest pictures and understanding of the eternal state, and what life will be like for us with the Lord forever. So, we are going to take a rendezvous through that for the next several times and find out what it is that the Lord has planned for us.
We begin with Revelation 21:1, with these words, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.” We start off I guess with a negative, if you want to call it that, with the old heaven and the old earth having passed away. They are no longer. It is my understanding that they are gone. They have been annihilated and destroyed. They have been replaced by a new heaven and a new earth. It says there is no longer any sea. I am not sure of the value or importance of that. There have been different debatable understandings on that, but I am not sure myself what that means. We do know, we have a new heaven and a new earth and the old has passed away. That is a wonderful thought.
Revelation 21:2 tells us about a third place called the new Jerusalem, “And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.” There is a third place. A new heaven. A new earth. A new Jerusalem. The new heaven and new earth are apparently formed at this time, but the new Jerusalem has already existed. It doesn’t say that it has been created. It says that it comes down out of heaven from God at this point in time, and so this has existed before. My opinion on that is in John 14:2 the new Jerusalem is explained, when Jesus is talking to His disciples and they are disturbed that He is going to leave them and He says to them, “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” I think that Jesus was talking about this new Jerusalem right here. He is saying I am going to go away, and I am going to prepare a place for you, and you are going to come to be at that place and I am going to be there as well . . .
We are finishing Revelation 20 this time. We have seen the end of the Millennial Kingdom with the rebellion of Satan and his hoards against the Lord. We have seen them destroyed and Satan cast out. We come to the Great White Throne Judgment now. We have seen the judgment of the unbelievers. We are looking at that judgment. We are coming now to Revelation 20:14-15 to see the final destiny of those who have rejected Christ. It is an ugly thing.
Look at Revelation 20:14, it says, “Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.” First, we want to think about this “death.” It is called the second death. In the Bible, the word “death” is the idea of separation. So, to be “dead” physically is to have our spirit separated from our bodies. To be “dead” spiritually in this life while we are alive means to have our person being separated from God. We are separated from the Lord. We are not reconciled to Him. We are alienated from Him. That is a spiritual death. The “second death” is a continuation of that spiritual death in which those who are spiritually dead continue to eternal death; an eternal separation from the Lord Jesus Christ. So, that is the second death. It says here that this is the second death, the lake of fire. So, those who experience this second death are cast into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is distinguished in the verses above from physical death and from Hades which we usually call hell. It is the final destiny of those who do not know Christ.
There is a tension here when we talk about this type of issue. The tension between what the scriptures teach, and we want to believe, and we want to proclaim, and at the same time the horror of knowing that multitudes of people will be eternally separated from the Lord in a place described here as the lake of fire. I do not think anyone who is normal wants to talk about hell and wants to talk about the punishment of the unbeliever. We all recoil against that to some degree, maybe to a large degree, because no one wants to think of the punishment or suffering that those people who reject Christ will endure forever. It is a horrible, horrible thing to consider. At the same time, the scriptures proclaim that there is an eternal separation from God for those that reject Him. So, we must proclaim that . . .
We pick up in Revelation 20 this time looking at the end of the Kingdom Age. We saw last time that the Kingdom Age ends with a great battle as Satan takes a multitude of people in rebellion against the Lord into a great battle against the Lord. They actually surround the city of Jerusalem, and apparently try to overthrow Christ Himself. They are quickly destroyed, and Satan himself is cast into the lake of fire according to Revelation 20:9-10. There is one more event that takes place before the eternal state begins. That is the Final Judgment, and this final judgment is upon the unbelievers of all ages.
We usually call this The Great White Throne Judgment. Based upon Revelation 20:11 where it says, “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.” That is why we get the name. We have this great judgment taking place and “Him that sits on the throne,” probably is Christ. We find in John 12:48, it says, “He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.” That Scripture says that all judgment is given to Christ, and so most likely, He is the judge at this time.
We find in Revelation 20:11 a couple of things that are of interest to us. It says that the “heaven and earth fled away,” this would indicate that apparently the heaven and earth as we know it today is now gone. It has been destroyed, it no longer exists, it has fled away so it isn’t present any longer. The second thing that we notice here as it says, “there is no place found for them.” This is going to mean that the judgment must take place in some kind of space unknown to us. Perhaps it is simply in space itself because it is not going to take place on earth or in heaven or in the New Jerusalem that we will look at next time, so apparently just in space in some format that we probably don’t understand.
Thinking about that, we find that the Great White Throne Judgment has to:
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Take place at the end of the Millennial Kingdom.
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It has to take place probably in space.
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Christ most likely is the judge at this time.
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The subjects are the unbelievers . . .
We have been spending several lessons on the Millennial Kingdom. As we come to Revelation 20:6, the Kingdom Age is now pretty much at the end. We are finishing things up and we are going to see how that concludes and leads us right into the eternal state of the eternal kingdom.
Revelation 20:6, concerning the saints it says, “Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.” So, the believers have reigned with Christ at this point in the text for a thousand years in the Kingdom Age. Now that kingdom is beginning to come to an end. It comes to an end with the release of Satan from his prison house called the abyss. We see that in Revelation 20:7, “When the thousand years are completed; Satan will be released from his prison.” So, according to Revelation 20:1-2, he has been thrown into this abyss, chained, locked up and cannot get out to deceive the nations. When he comes forth now, at the end of this thousand-year time, we find that he immediately returns to his old ways as we see in Revelation 20:8, “and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore.” So, his next step is to deceive. That is what he does throughout all of history all the way back to the Garden of Eden and right to the very end of his opportunities before he is cast permanently away. He is a deceiver, and he comes forth once again to deceive the world and to turn them against the Lord Jesus. That is what he does.
The interesting and sad thing is that he is able to come at the end of the Millennial Kingdom, after Christ has reigned on earth in a perfect kingdom. As perfect as anyone has ever seen, and he is able to deceive the nations in such a way that multitudes follow him in that deception in following him to rebel against Christ. It is an unbelievable thing. I guess it shows us, one of the reasons why all of this is taking place perhaps, that even in a perfect environment, that does not create a perfect heart . . .
We are going to conclude our look at the Millennium by looking at the government of the Kingdom Age. The book of Isaiah talks about that quite a bit, so that is where we are going to start. What will the government look like? Well, there are a few things that are very important to our study. One is that Jerusalem will be its capital. While that might not mean a great deal to some of us, it meant a great deal to Israel. God promised great things for Jerusalem. It is His city, and He has promised wonderful things for its future. So, we pick up there.
In Isaiah 2:2, it says, “Now it will come about that in the last days, the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills, and all the nations will stream to it. And many peoples will come and say, ‘Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord.’” Then at the end of Isaiah 2:3, it says, “For the law will go forth from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” We have a picture here that the city of Jerusalem will be the capital city of the Kingdom Age. As a matter of fact, in Revelation 21, when we look at the eternal state, we have the New Jerusalem coming down. So, Jerusalem plays a dominant role in the end time events. It is a place where the people from all over the world will come to worship. It is a place where they will come to be taught and to learn truths and to hear the word from the Lord Himself. So, Jerusalem will be the capital city. Then Christ will reign from there. We see that at the end of Isaiah 2:3, but go into verse 4, “And He will judge between the nations, and will render decisions for many peoples, and they will hammer their swords into plowshares.” We find that in Jerusalem is Christ Himself. As He is there what does He do? He judges between the nations. He has perfect judgment, and He will render decisions. There will be no false systems. No bribery. No corrupt court systems. It will be the judge Christ Himself and He will judge and render decisions. So, Christ will reign, but we have an even better picture of that in Isaiah 9 which we often read at Christmastime. It does have reference to the incarnation, but it also has reference to the reign of Christ at His Second Coming . . .
We continue looking at the characteristics of the Kingdom Age. We sometimes call it the Millennium. We saw four of those yesterday. There are dozens of them, I suppose, but I want to quickly move to five more this time.
Starting with the description of fullness of the spirit in Joel 2:28, it says, “It will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions. Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.” Sometimes this passage of Scripture is hijacked and misapplied, but this is speaking of the Kingdom Age. “It will come about, after this,” so, after the Tribulation Period and the Kingdom Age starts, the Spirit will be poured out on the earth and so, the world will know of a life where the Holy Spirit is in charge and the Holy Spirit is poured out on humanity. It will be a time of the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Secondly, in Isaiah, and Isaiah once again has a lot of material on this subject. Isaiah 2:4, tells us it is a time of peace, it says, “And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they learn war.” So, we have a picture of the peace that the world has been chasing after since the beginning of time and has never been able to find it. How many hundreds or even thousands of peace treaties have been written over the ages? How many people have tried to bring about peace in one way or another and yet wars and terror and all sorts of awful things continue, but the day will come when that will be gone and that will be in the Kingdom Age. It will be the age of peace and there will be no war during that thousand-year time. We have already seen at the end of the thousand-year time when Satan is released there is another battle, but during that thousand-year time what we have on earth is peace . . .
We continue looking at the Millennium. There is so much in Scripture about the Kingdom Age that is yet to come. The age promised to the Jewish people in the Old Testament. The age that Christ came to offer. The age that the church looks forward to now. There is so much, but we are going to look at a few characteristics of the Kingdom Age these next several times. We are going to look at Old Testament passages.
Starting with Isaiah 26:2 - Isaiah has a lot to say about the Kingdom Age, as you will see. One of the characteristics that we will look at this time is righteousness. Isaiah 26:2 says, “Open the gates, that the righteous nation may enter, The one that remains faithful.” We have a righteous nation that is entering the Kingdom Age. This is just one of many verses dealing with this righteousness. Israel was not a righteous nation in the idea that they were living for God at this time. They were in full blown rebellion throughout much of the Old Testament including the time when Isaiah was writing these words, but the day would come when they would be righteous, they would be set free from their sins, they would be right before God and given His righteousness. So, righteousness will be one of the characteristics of the Kingdom Age.
The second one is found in Ezekiel 36. We often turn to this passage, and it is pretty well known. We are going to look at this as obedience. During the Kingdom Age, the world will be obeying the Lord. Some will be obeying only outwardly, sadly, as we will find out later and the Lord will deal with that. However, apparently the majority will follow Him from their hearts. One of the reasons is that Satan is bound, and they are no longer deceived. The second reason is that the Lord has actually given them new hearts. In Ezekiel 36:26, it says, “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.”
We continue studying the Millennium. I believe it was Dwight Pentecost that said that of all the subjects and all the themes in the Bible, the Kingdom Age has the most material in the Bible by far than any other subject. If that is true, then we could spend weeks and weeks on this subject. We are hitting only the highlights of the Kingdom Age that has been promised by our Lord in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. Christ Himself came to present the Kingdom and to offer the Kingdom to His people. So, this is a big theme running throughout all the Bible. As we think about that a question that pops up sometimes is, Why the Kingdom Age? Why this thousand-year, first stage of eternal Kingdom? Why not simply go straight into the eternal Kingdom that will be depicted in Revelation 21-22 and move right on and just not worry too much about this thousand-year reign on the earth at this time? Why do this at all? That is a good question. I want to offer this time, three different reasons why it would appear, according to Scripture, that the Lord has decided to give us this thousand-year Kingdom on earth:
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Answer to prayer. First, it is an answer to our prayers. I’m reading from Matthew 6:9, “Pray, then, in this way; ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.” Ever since that time, the followers of Jesus Christ have been praying that prayer, the Lord’s Prayer. Many churches pray it every Sunday morning. Many Christians repeat it all the time. Many people, if they know a prayer at all, it would be the Lord’s Prayer. Whether it is with sincerity, or ignorance or with full heart, as people have prayed these words over the years, we have prayed for the Lord to bring His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. This is something Jesus has called us to do. So, we are praying for this time, this Kingdom Age and this is an answer to prayer. So, this is one reason.
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Nature is freed from many residues of sin and corruption. Another reason, I believe, can be found in the book of Romans where we find and interesting passage in Romans 8:19 and on down. We find that one of the residues, we might say, of the curse, the fact that Adam and Eve sinned and God brought judgment upon them and on the earth because of their sins, one of the residues of that is that our created world, our nature, is under the curse and as wonderful as it can be at times and as beautiful as it is, we see the handiwork of God at the same time, we also see the pollution and corruption of sin that makes our creation sometimes a very unpleasant place to be. Nature itself doesn’t appreciate that. If we could give a metaphorical picture there, look at Romans 8:19, “For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.” Creation is looking forward to this Kingdom Age as well. “For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it,” so, nature is under the curse. It sure doesn’t want to be there, but it is. We continue reading, “in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.” He is saying the world is under the curse of sin and as a result of that, it too groans in this metaphorical sense that he is using it in here. So, the Lord is going to set that free someday. Nature is going to be what God created it to be and the Kingdom Age is going to be, I believe, the first stage of that particular process. Where nature itself, as we see in the Old Testament, nature itself is freed from so many of the residues of sin and the corruption of sin . . .
We return to Revelation 20:4, and we are looking at the content given to us in this book on the Kingdom Age that is to come. We know that it is a thousand years because it says it is a thousand years six different times. We have seen already that the saints that have come out of the Tribulation Period are being judged. Now we are going to look at the resurrections. There is some interesting information here about the resurrections.
It says here in Revelation 20:4, speaking of the Tribulation saints, “and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.” So, we are looking at this resurrection at the end of the Tribulation Period. As we look at that, we find as the Millennium begins, the Tribulation saints have been resurrected and they have come to life. It says, “Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection.” He is speaking now the first resurrection of this period. There was a prior resurrection if you recall seven years before this. 1 Thessalonians 4 talks about that, when the church age saints are resurrected from the dead, given new and glorified bodies and go to be with Him in heaven forever, it says. In Revelation 20, we are not in heaven, we are on earth and the saints have been resurrected to be on the earth at this point and that is where they are being judged. This is the first resurrection. Those that partake of the second resurrection of this period will do so a thousand years later, and those we will see be subject to the second death, or the lake of fire. It is an awful thing to consider.
Right now, we are looking at a very positive thing. We are looking at the resurrection of the saints that come out of the Tribulation Period. Go back with me to Daniel 12. There is a piece here that we need to explore. In Daniel 12 we find one of the very few passages in all the Old Testament that deals with the eternal destiny of the Old Testament saints. There are two or three places that mention it, and this is the clearest by far.
Last time we began to look at the third major section of the book of Revelation. Which are the things that are going to happen in eternity and beyond after the Second Coming of Christ, after the Battle of Armageddon, and after the Tribulation. What comes next is the Kingdom Age. The Kingdom Age in some respects takes place in two stages:
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Millennial Kingdom There is the temporal Kingdom Age. What we call the Millennial Kingdom which will last one thousand years. In Revelation 20, we are looking at the timeline of this Millennial Kingdom. We saw in Revelation 20:1-3 the beginning. It starts off by putting Satan into a place where he can no longer deceive the nations. The reason why he is there, and he is bound this way is because of his deception of the nations. He is a deceiver. That is his greatest tool. That is what he is constantly doing. The Kingdom Age would not go forth very well at all if Satan were still allowed to deceive the nations. So, he is bound and unable to do that for a thousand years.
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Eternal Kingdom Then there will be the eternal Kingdom. That will be in Revelation 21-22.
Moving forward, we are looking at some of the activities going on in the Millennial Kingdom. Honestly, Revelation 20:4 and a little bit of 20:5-6 give us all that the book of Revelation is going to tell us about the Kingdom Age itself. We will look at other places later for more information.
Look at Revelation 20:4, “Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.” There is a lot packed into that one little verse.
As we continue in our study, this time we are turning the corner to the Millennial Kingdom Age. As we look at Revelation 20, we will find that on six different occasions in seven different verses, the term “a thousand years,” is given as a duration of the Kingdom Age, and so that is where we get our term the “Millennial Kingdom.” As we take that duration, the thousand years, as literal it’s a millennium, so we will call it the Millennium on occasion.
What we are looking at is really the third major section of the book of Revelation. I want to read a couple verses here and then go back to Revelation 1. We did touch on Revelation 20:1 already, but here is what it says, “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; and after these things he must be released for a short time.” So, here we see twice in the first three verses that “a thousand years,” is mentioned as the duration of this time. Let’s go back to Revelation 1 for a moment. Revelation very neatly divides this out into three sections in Revelation 1:19, where the Lord is speaking to John and He says, “Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things.” So, there is the table of contents of the book of Revelation. First, write “the things of which you have seen.” That would be a description of what goes on in Revelation 1. This is present tense. He is seeing this vision of the Lord in all of His glory in Revelation 1. These are the things he has seen, and this really lays the foundation for the rest of the book. We see the descriptions of Jesus as found in Revelation 1 being replayed throughout the whole book. Part two however, is “the things that are,” that is in Revelation 2 & 3. That is the seven churches of Asia at that time and the Lord has special messages for each of these churches. These churches existed at the time of the writing of the book of Revelation. Then we have “the things which will take place after these things.” These are future events . . .
We took a good look at the Second Coming of Christ as found in Revelation 19. We have seen a lot of good things. We saw the names of Christ. We saw the victories of Christ. We saw the descriptions of Christ. We now have looked at two of the three great victories necessary before Christ sets up His Kingdom on earth which will be found starting in Revelation 20. The first enemy defeated was all the human armies of the world that had come out to oppose Him. Secondly, the antichrist and the false prophet who have led this rebellion in the Tribulation Period against Christ have now been defeated. There is one final enemy that is left standing that the Lord must defeat and have victory over before He sets up His Kingdom. That is the devil himself. The one who is behind all rebellion and deception against Christ.
We pick up there in Revelation 20:1, “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan,” so there is no question about who we are talking about here. This is the devil himself, Satan. It continues, “and bound him for a thousand years; and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.” Satan has always opposed the Lord. All the way back to before the Garden of Eden, when Satan rebelled against Him in the heavenly places. Satan seemed to have been one of the greatest, if not the greatest, angelic being the Lord ever created. That wasn’t enough for Satan, so he rebelled against the Lord and took, as we see in the description in Revelation 12, a third of the angels with him in that rebellion. Those angels have been demonic creatures that have plagued the earth ever since. All of that is now over. Satan has been defeated by the Lord, and we find that the Lord Himself doesn’t imprison the devil, he sends an angel to do it. So, an angel is powerful enough to defeat the devil here. He takes him and puts him in the abyss . . .
We have been looking at the Battle of Armageddon and looking at the three great enemies that must be destroyed before Christ sets up His Kingdom on earth. The first enemy was the armies of the world that all come out to oppose the return of Christ and His rulership over them. Remember in Psalm 2 it says that the world has always resisted the ruling of Jesus Christ and of God. So, they continue that to the very end and the Lord has now, I believe, taken the lives of all unredeemed humanity that are on the earth at this point in time. There is a second great enemy and that is the antichrist and his false prophet.
We pick up in Revelation 19:19, “And I saw the beast,” that is the antichrist, “and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns like brimstone.” We find the antichrist, the beast, and the false prophet who have had their way for several years on earth, up to seven years, especially the last three-and-a-half. They have deceived the world and ruled over humanity pretty and now they have met their end. The Lord sends them straight into what is called here the “lake of fire.” To our knowledge, these are the only ones in the lake of fire. As a matter of fact, this is the first mention of the lake of fire by that terminology in Scripture. We find in Revelation 20:10 that they are still there, it says, “And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone,” there is our third enemy in the lake of fire, “where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” A thousand years later we have, the false prophet and the antichrist still in the lake of fire, still under the judgment of God at that time . . .
As we continue to examine together the Second Coming of Christ found in Revelation 19, we have looked at the King – Christ Himself and His army which is the church in Revelation 19:14 that comes with Him. Now we are going to shift direction a bit and look at the King and His victories. There are three enemies that are found here in our text that need to be overcome for Christ to set up His Kingdom. These enemies must be defeated as Christ begins to rule.
The first enemy are the armies of the world who have come out to oppose Him. In Revelation 19:17 it says, “Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, “Come, assemble for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.” And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.” We skip to Revelation 19:21 where it says, “And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.” We have a rather gruesome picture here. What we have when we look at the rest of Scripture and other descriptions is called the Battle of Armageddon, if we look back at Revelation 14, you will see that terminology used. This is a time when the armies of the earth have come together to do battle. It would seem from other texts of Scripture in the Old Testament in particular, that the armies of the world have come together to do battle over who will rule the earth. The antichrist has his armies. There are armies from the east and perhaps the north. It is very likely that this is the greatest world war of all times. This is not just one battle but had been going on for some time. Now we have this great gathering of all these armies to determine who will rule the earth. At that time, Christ Himself returns and as He returns the armies of the world no longer are fighting one another. They realize there is a bigger enemy here. There is someone who could destroy all of them. So, apparently, they turn all their attention to Christ Himself and join forces to try to stop the King of King and Lord of Lords from becoming the monarch of the world . . .
We continue our study of the return of Jesus Christ. This is the event we long for, pray for, and sing songs about. It is going to be a glorious thing for the people of God. In fact, we saw in Revelation 19:14, that those that are in the church now have already been raptured and taken to be with Him by this time, and now we are coming back with Him in clean linen and riding on white horses with Christ as He comes forth. In this section though, the emphasis is not on us, it is on Christ as He comes forth in victory over all those who have challenged Him. We are looking at the descriptions of Christ given in this passage.
We have already seen four descriptions, and in Revelation 19:15, we pick up the fifth description where it says, “From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations.” So, we see Christ is coming in war and victory. I believe the sword coming from His mouth is a metaphor for the idea that He is just going to speak. He doesn’t need weapons or need any kind of means beyond His own word. He will simply speak and those armies that have come out to oppose Him, including the antichrist and the false prophet will not stand a chance. They are going to be mowed down. As for the antichrist and the false prophet we have something else in mind for them yet, we will get to that a little later.
Secondly, it says as the sixth description, He will rule saying, “and He will rule them with a rod of iron.” I think we sometimes think of Christ, who is meek and lowly and gentle and kind, as being a pushover. He is not! The description of Him here is that He will rule with a rod of iron. The Kingdom Age, which will follow the coming of Christ which we will look at later, will not be a democracy. We are not going to get to vote on rules or laws or anything else. Christ is going to rule, and He is going to rule with a rod of iron. That means there is going to be a zero-tolerance policy with Him. Those in the Kingdom Age, that will follow, will not rebel against Him. They will not be allowed to have defiant sins against Him. He will deal with that forcefully, as we see in other Scripture, especially the Old Testament. That will not be tolerated. He will rule with iron. It is going to be His way or the highway as some people say. There is no other way . . .
Last time we began the wonderful study of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ found in Revelation 19. We focused primarily on the names given to Christ in this text of Scripture. Four different names that describe who He is and what He is like. We learned a great deal about Christ through those names.
Today we are looking at the actual descriptions given in the passage. There are seven of them and we will look at four this time and the rest next time.
Beginning with Revelation 19:11 where it says, “And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war.” First, we see that He is riding in on a white horse. This is an interesting contrast between His first and second coming. At His first coming, He came as a baby: peaceful, content, beautiful scene and didn’t come in war. He came as a little child in a manger. Now He comes back as a warrior. He comes back on a white horse. Even when He came to Jerusalem, at what we call a triumphal entry before His crucifixion, He rode in on a donkey, not a war horse. Now He comes on a war horse. A white horse. He is coming for battle and this description describes it for us.
Secondly, in Revelation 19:12, we see his eyes, “His eyes are a flame of fire,” this is a depiction of Christ’s ability to see all things. This comes right after He says in Revelation 19:11, “in righteousness He judges and wages war.” It isn’t possible to judge righteously unless you know the facts and know what is really going on. The best of human judges looks at the evidence that they are given and make a verdict on that and determine what they believe is right on the basis of the facts that they are given, but they can be wrong, and the evidence can be wrong. Not so for Jesus. His eyes see all things. It’s like a flame of fire penetrating all things. He sees what is right. He sees what is wrong. He is never deceived so He is able to judge righteously . . .
We are looking at probably the most anticipated and talked about event in all of human history. That is the return of Jesus Christ to claim the earth and whole universe as His own as the absolute monarch. We know He is the monarch now and He is sovereignly in control, but for His own purposes, He has allowed sin to have its day. He has allowed Satan to be the God of this world at this point. That is all going to change here at the Second Coming of Christ. We are going to take our time going through Revelation 19 as we look at this event in Scripture. We find the return of Christ in Revelation 19:11-20:3 could be divided into two major parts. There is the king and His armies, and the king and His victories.
We are going to first look at the beginning of the king and His armies starting in Revelation 19:11 which says, “And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war.” As we jump into this, we are going to find that the army itself that comes with Christ is really mentioned in passing only in Revelation 19:14. The emphasis and focus is on the General of that army – Jesus Christ Himself. As we look at that, we find there are four different names in this section given for Jesus Christ. Each of those names tell us something unique and special about Him. Revelation 19:11 calls Him, “Faithful and True.” Keep in mind He is coming as the absolute monarch of the universe, and He is coming as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is going to be the ruler over all things. One of the difficulties that we have in human rulership is the fact that many of them are deceitful. Many of them are self-centered and out simply for themselves. However, Jesus Christ, the perfect ruler is, “Faithful and True,” and in righteousness He judges and wages war. He is going to wage war here. There has been discussion over the ages with just war theory. Is there such a thing as just war? In human language and history, that has been extremely rare, I think, but this is a just war. He is coming as the One who is righteous, faithful, and true and He is waging a just war.
Here is the second name for Him. Revelation 19:12 says, “His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself.” A secret name! . . .
We are looking at the marriage of the Lamb and the marriage supper of the Lamb. It helps us to understand that in ancient times there were often three stages to their marriage ceremonies and wedding ceremonies:
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Betrothal. There was the original betrothal stage which often was a contract between parents concerning their children. It was legally binding, but of course the children didn’t live together, and they were not man and wife in that sense, but it was a legally binding situation.
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Bridegroom comes to get his bride. When they grew up, the bride would be at her home and the bridegroom would come, often escorted with his best people and best men, to go to her home, get her, bring her back to his house where the wedding ceremony would take place.
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Wedding feast. The third stage was the feast of the wedding, the supper. In the case of Scripture, the marriage supper of the Lamb. In which they would have a reception much like what we would have, although often it would go on for several days as people celebrated the marriage of two people.
That is kind of the backdrop of this, and we saw what Revelation 19:7 meant last time.
We look at Revelation 19:8 now which says, “It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.” So, her wedding dress are these righteous acts of the saints as we saw in Ephesians 5 last time, that is made possible only through the cleansing power of Christ and His Word and His blood for His bride. So, she is clean. She is holy. She is purified because of the work of Christ in her life. Her wedding dress, it says, is the righteous acts that follow that . . .
As we continue in Revelation 19, we are looking at the marriage of the Lamb in Revelation 19:7. Perhaps we could say that the first six verses were the introductory music – similar to the introductory music we see at a wedding in our modern times – we could look at it like that. This is a time of rejoicing of Christ, and the Hallelujah and so forth.
When we come down to Revelation 19:7, we get to the actual marriage ceremony itself. It says, “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” What we find in this verse as we think about this wedding metaphor. The weddings in that time were a little bit different than today. We will touch on that more next time, but we do know that in our modern times, I think in ancient times as well, the invitations for the wedding were sent out. People were invited to come to the wedding. So, we have an invitation here to come to the wedding of the Lamb, so to speak. It says, that the “marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” A couple interesting things here. First, the attention is primarily on the Lamb. Of course, that is Christ in the book of Revelation. Christ is called the Lamb numerous times in the book of Revelation, almost exclusively actually, in the book of Revelation although not completely. This is of course Christ.
So, we ask who is He marrying at the marriage of the Lamb? It says, “His bride has made herself ready.” What that means to us is that we have someone, in this metaphor, that Jesus Christ the Lamb is marrying. Who can we identify as the bride? Some have said it is Israel because Israel is predominate in Scripture. Yet, Israel is never called the bride of the Lamb. In the Old Testament, we see metaphors of her being His wife, but not the bride of the Lamb. Some think maybe it is the Tribulation saints. Those saints that have died or those coming through the Tribulation. However, we find in Revelation 20 that both the Old Testament saints and the Tribulation saints are not resurrected and rewarded until after the Second Coming of Christ. This is preceding the Second Coming of Christ . . .
So far, we have looked at the first couple of verses in Revelation 19 of what we call the great Hallelujah Chorus as the heavens and the earth are ringing out with praise for God for what He is doing especially in His destruction of all that have opposed him. I have a chess board that sits beside me here. The world has been playing chess with God for a very long time and has found itself often thinking it’s doing well and believing it has God in checkmate, but the truth is that God knows what He is doing, and He has outplayed them on every angle. He has now defeated them finally and completely as we come to this passage here. My friend Luke Pierce looked at my chess set that I just kind of play with back here and pointed out a tragic mistake that was on the board that he was going to fix for me. I’m not sure that he did, but he did work on it, and in his opinion, he was seeing that I had made a mistake and that mistake needed to be remedied. Well, the world made a mistake. It thought that it could oppose and challenge God. It could not. So, as we come to these verses here, we find that the Lord has destroyed those things that have opposed Him.
Now we come to Revelation 19:3 at the second of the four hallelujahs, “And a second time they said, ‘Hallelujah! Her smoke rises up forever and ever.’” We find that the second chorus of hallelujah is going forth because there is an eternal and complete destruction of those things that oppose God. Not a temporary one, but a complete and eternal one.
Then we have in Revelation 19:4 a third reason, “And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, “Amen, Hallelujah!” The heavens join in now because they see what God has done and they rejoice over that. The four living creatures and the twenty-four elders have shown up a number of times in the book of Revelation always rejoicing, praising and worshiping the Lord in one way or another. Now, as we come toward the end of this book, they are doing it once again and they are worshiping Him in that way . . .
We are picking up where we left off last time in Revelation 19 as we look at what some have called God’s great Hallelujah chorus - at least in the New Testament, as we do have some similar things in the Old Testament especially in the Psalms. In the first six verses of Revelation 19, four different times we have various creatures and beings crying out “Hallelujah,” because all the systems that have resisted and rebelled against God that have all come together under the antichrist have now been destroyed. The last remaining element will be the military which will be destroyed soon. So, the heavens are crying out with praise to the Lord with a “Hallelujah.”
In Revelation 19:1 it says, “After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven,” so the chorus is coming out of heaven, “saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God.” So, the very first reason for the Hallelujahs is because, “salvation, glory and power belong to our God.”
He presses on in Revelation 19:2 for some other reasons why the Lord is to be praised. As a matter of fact, there are three different reasons that we can see, “because His judgments are true and righteous; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and He has avenged the blood of his bond-servants on her.” So, here are three different reasons why they are praising the Lord at this time:
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God’s judgments are true and righteous. We don’t often think in that way today, we think of judgment and justice all negatively. We do not see the very positive aspect that God’s justice and judgments are always true, never unfair, never unjust, always true, always have all the facts and evidence, and they are always righteous. They always point to holiness in doing that which is reflective of the very nature of God. No wonder the heavens are declaring the glory and the praise of God. Even His judgments are true and righteous.
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He has judged the great harlot who has corrupted the earth with her immorality. The great harlot back in Revelation 17 was the religious system that was run by the devil himself. It is one that worked in tandem with the antichrist to corrupt the whole world in religious realms, but that has been destroyed now. Some believe the great harlot here rolls into that terminology of Babylon the great of Revelation 18 which is the economic and political system. That may be and either way we find all of this has been destroyed and it has been corrupting the earth and is now no longer.
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He has avenged the blood of His bond-servants on her. Remember back in Revelation 6:10, some of the martyrs early on in the Tribulation Period were calling for avengement upon their martyrdom. They had been killed by the antichrist and those who opposed the Lord, and they were calling out for the Lord to do something about it? Well, now He is. So, the heavens are ringing with joy and hallelujahs and praise the Lord because He has done exactly what has been asked to be done . . .
Revelation 19 is an unbelievable chapter in the scriptures as we look at the contrast between the first half of this chapter and the second half. It is a huge contrast. The first ten verse will be our focus first and we are looking at the redeemed in heaven. We find a great praise service going on. We see the marriage supper of the Lamb, and we see a joy on the part of the people. This is for the most part a very uplifting, encouraging, and wonderful section of the book of Revelation, especially in light of all that has gone wrong. All the tragedy, judgment, and bloodshed that we have seen so far throughout the book. When we get to the second half we come to a whole different section. It will be the return of Christ at the Battle of Armageddon. This will be a time on the earth in which the Lord comes back to earth. The first half is in heaven. The second half is on earth and it’s a time of judgment. The Lord comes back at the Second Coming in wrath and judgment, and He is dealing with those who have rebelled against Him throughout the ages and especially during the Tribulation Period. A real contrast will be seen between the two.
Let’s go back and start with Revelation 19:1 and it says, “After these things.” That particular phrase can be traced all the way back to earlier in Revelation 4:1 after the messages to the seven churches, we have this phrase, “After these things I looked and behold a door standing open in heaven.” Then for the next two chapters, there is a wonderful praise service for both the Father and the Son. What we have here is after these things, and many believe that it is referencing that this is after the church age, in Revelation 2 & 3 it was all about the church and the local seven churches of Asia that were being addressed, and then after these things in Revelation 4:1, we hear no more about the church until Revelation 19 at the Second Coming which we will look at next time.
In Revelation 19:1 when he says, “After these things,” he is really talking about after the destruction of the world system that has been led by the antichrist. In Revelation 17 we saw the destruction of the great harlot or the ecclesiastical religious system in opposition to God. In Revelation 18 we see the collapse of the economic and political system ran by the antichrist, and Revelation 19 will now be about the collapse and destruction of the military system . . .
We complete Revelation 18 this time. This is an awful picture of the depravity of mankind and the judgment of God upon the world that has rejected Him. As we come to the end of Revelation 18, we are looking at the final announcement that the Lord has brought at this time. This is an announcement of joy.
In Revelation 18:20 it says, “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her.” It is interesting isn’t it that the very thing that the world sorrows over can sometimes bring joy to the followers of Jesus Christ. It depends on where your heart is. The unbelievers of this time, characterized by Babylon the great and all those that were wrapped around her, they loved the sensuality and immorality and the materialism that came from this system. However, God judged it because this system was godless and rejected Him. The believers here in Revelation 18:20 are rejoicing over God’s righteous judgment upon sin. While the world mourns because its lost its stuff, hopes, and dreams, the child of God rejoices because the righteous judge of all the earth has done that which is right, and He has judged that which is godless and that which needed to be judged. So, we find joy here. It is a pronouncement, even a command of sorts, to, “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints,” who follow the Lord.
He goes on in Revelation 18:21 and says, “Then a strong angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down with violence, and will not be found any longer.” So, this millstone, this very heavy millstone being “thrown into the sea” is a symbolic gesture of the destruction of Babylon itself.
We continue, notice at this point the cadence of “no longer.” Six different times we are told something does not happen “any longer” as we see in Revelation 18:22, “And the sound of harpists and musicians and flute-players and trumpeters will not be heard in you any longer,” that is the sounds of joy. Things that are fun and enjoyable and musical. We continue, “and no craftsman of any craft will be found in you any longer.” Now, we are having these crafts and abilities to create things destroyed . . .
Revelation 18 gives us an ugly picture of the depravity of human nature. It has all come to a head at the end of the Tribulation Period. Ugliness was found in Revelation 17 with the apostate world religion called “the great harlot.” In Revelation 18 we see the fall of “Babylon the great” where the pollution and the immorality has totally infiltrated commerce, business, and politics to a degree that we have never yet seen on this earth. Now it has all come to a head under the leadership of Satan and his man the antichrist. God has pronounced judgment upon Babylon the great, He has called His people out of Babylon, so they do not participate in the sins or the judgments that are coming, and now we are looking at the announcement of sorrow. We find that the political leaders have already been sorrowful and now the business leaders are in great sorrow as well.
We pick up in Revelation 18:15, “The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand at a distance because of the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, she who was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls; for in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste!’ And every shipmaster and every passenger and sailor, and as many as make their living by the sea, stood at a distance, and were crying out as they saw the smoke of her burning, saying ‘What city is like the great city?’ And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea became rich by her wealth, for in one hour she has been laid waste!’” So, we have this continual sadness, and mourning and sorrow on the part of the merchants worldwide. Whether they are on land or ships or wherever, they have lost it all. Everything they lived for and loved and dreamed of has literally gone up in smoke with Babylon the great and it has been quick. Several times in Revelation 18:8, 10, 17 and 19, it says “in one hour she has been laid waste.” It wasn’t a gradual thing. It was an immediate thing indicating that God’s judgment is coming, and God’s judgment is doing all this. This is not a collapse in part because of bad handling of things or management or typical economic depression or collapse . . .
We are looking at Revelation 18:9, and as I said there are four different announcements that we can identify in this chapter. In Revelation 18:3 we have the announcement of coming judgment. Then in Revelation 18:4 the Lord calls for His people to separate themselves from those who are corrupted by sin and those upon whom His judgment will soon fall.
Now we come to Revelation 18:9 and we could call this the announcement of sorrow. This will go through to 18:17 where we find a lot of sorrowful people because of the destruction and judgment on Babylon the great. We begin with the kings and political leaders in Revelation 18:9-10, “And the kings of the earth, who committed acts of immorality and lived sensuously with her,” her being Babylon, “will weep and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’” We see again here, the kings of the earth, these would be the powerful political leaders around the world, the presidents, kings, and monarchs and so forth. They are in deep mourning because they too have committed acts of immorality and sensuality and in other words, they have immersed themselves in the sins that characterize Babylon the great. Babylon the great’s sins have spread worldwide, and everyone has been cloned after them. As they watch from a distance, so these people are not actually in the city of Babylon that is being destroyed here, we see this is probably a literal city in which the whole commerce of the world is wrapped around. As that goes up in smoke, literally burned down, they weep and they mourn and they say, “Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour your judgment has come.” As we saw earlier in Revelation 18:8, this seems to be a swift destruction. Things were going along very smoothly, the stock market was at the top of its numbers, the economic systems were going well, and people were wealthy and doing well and now suddenly a collapse. The bubble has burst completely, and the world is in a chaos and Babylon the great is being destroyed. So, the kings of the earth and political leaders mourn . . .
We are looking at the fall of Babylon the great which is the economic and political powers that the antichrist is leading, and Satan of course is behind. In Revelation 18 there are four announcements. There is the announcement of judgment that we saw yesterday in Revelation 18:1-3 which we covered last time.
We pick up the second announcement, a call to separation for the people of God, beginning in Revelation 18:4, “I heard another voice from heaven, saying, ‘Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues.’” God is now calling to His people. This is consistent with Scripture as God calls for His people to come out from among them and be separate in 2 Corinthians 6. That doesn’t mean that we don’t interact with and have unbelieving friends and neighbors and coworkers and so forth. It means, we don’t participate with them in the sinful habits and lifestyles that they have. Instead, we remove ourselves from that and get away from that and do not allow that to corrupt us. That is what He is talking about here. He is getting ready to judge Babylon the great, and unless they want to participate in that judgment, they need to remove themselves from that system. So, He says, “come out of her, my people.” He gives us two reasons for that, first, so they do not participate in their sins as we just read in Revelation 18:4.
In Revelation 18:5 He starts to tick off her sins, “for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Pay her back even as she has paid, and give back to her double according to her deeds.” Notice what He is saying in Revelation 18:4-5 and He is saying, “here is a whole list of sins.” He is going to look at some other sins later in the chapter, but these sins are piling up. God has allowed them to pile up. Sort of like our chores at home sometimes. We have these things that we need to get done and we are not getting them done and so they are piling up and they are getting bigger, and they are not going to go away on their own. Eventually we must tackle them. So, these sins have been piling up. God has allowed them to accumulate, especially during these seven years of the Tribulation Period, but really going all the way back. God does not often immediately judge the sins of different peoples and people groups. Often, God allows many years, decades, and centuries to go before certain sins are dealt with . . .
We are looking at Revelation 18 as we continue to work our way through this time where God is bringing great judgment upon the world at the end of the Tribulation Period. We are finding in Revelation 17, 18, & 19 the judgment of God. Revelation 17 was God’s judgment on Satan’s religious system calling it “the great harlot” there. Revelation 18, which we are going to look at, is judgment on the political and economic system that Satan controls and the antichrist is in charge of. Then finally in Revelation 19 we will look at the military system of the devil and the antichrist that challenge the Lord Himself at His Second Coming and there we will find that also is destroyed. We have already looked at the destruction of the religious system set up probably by the false prophet. It is called “the great harlot” in Revelation 17.
Now let’s look at this political and economic system that will be under the judgment of God. In Revelation 18 there are four great announcements. The first is the announcement of judgment we see in Revelation 18:1, “After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illumined with his glory. And he cried out with a mighty voice saying, ‘Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird.’” In Revelation 17, the apostate religious system is called “the great harlot,” and now this corrupt political economic system is called “Babylon the great.” Whether this was the literal city of Babylon or just a metaphor of the system is debatable. There does seem to be an actual city of commerce that will be destroyed later in the chapter. So, we have this system here that has done well economically. Apparently, the world has had great benefits from the system set up by the antichrist, yet it is corrupt to its core, and we see that here and it is fallen now. The Lord is pronouncing the fallen nature, and the judgment coming upon Babylon the great. It says, “she is a dwelling place of demons and every unclean spirit and unclean birds.” We think of the church in contrast. The church is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, the dwelling place of God . . .
We left off last time at Revelation 17:13 with the antichrist having come to power and having power over everyone with a confederation of ten powerful kings who have given the antichrist their power and so, he is doing well. He appears in charge of all things. He is the ultimate ruler over all the earth. Unfortunately, he has two opponents in front of him. One is Christ Himself so it isn’t going to go to well for him as you can imagine. Let’s start there.
We read in Revelation 17:14, “These will wage war against the Lamb,” so this confederation that the antichrist leads wages war against the Lamb, “and the Lamb will overcome them,” now we know that is going to happen, but Revelation 19 gives the details of this. This is kind of a prelude of the coming attractions. He overcomes them, “because He is Lord of lords and King of kings,” they are going to learn the hard way that the Lord is the true Lord and He is the true King, “and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.” We will pick that up in Revelation 19:16 as we see a coalition of the saints that come with Christ.
We have another individual or entity that opposes the antichrist and that one doesn’t fair as well as we look at Revelation 17:15 that says, “And he said to me, ‘The waters which you saw where the harlot sits, are people and multitudes and nations and tongues.’” Now we are going back to the great harlot and the people over whom she rules. The nations and the people of the world are under her. Revelation 17:16 continues, “And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the harlot,” remember the antichrist came in earlier in the chapter sitting on the great harlot. That indicates that he came in with her to power, but she was dominate. She rode him, but now things are shifting, and the antichrist now has a confederation of powerful kingdoms. He has gotten above and beyond the great harlot and he turns on her. All along, he has hated her, and he doesn’t want to be under her rule or follow her leadership, and so now he turns on her and it says, “and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire.” What an ugly picture. The antichrist turns on the great world system of religion that is opposed to God and opposed to God’s people, but now the antichrist turns on her, eats her up, destroys her and wipes her out . . .
We are picking up our study in Revelation 17:9 which says, “Here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits.” He is describing now. He is giving descriptions of both the great harlot that he has talked about which is this religious apostate system that is ruling over the earth during much of the Tribulation Period, and the antichrist is involved here as well, and he is called the beast. So, they are interrelated as we are looking at it here. And it says, “The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits.” I suppose historically or traditionally these seven heads have been described as seven mountains which may be a description of ancient Rome. Rome is considered the city on seven hills. So, there has often been the idea that this is a picture, we are talking about Babylon, but the great empire of the day was Rome. It is the greatest empire the world has ever seen up to this point. So, it could be a description of a type of revived Roman empire. It continues, “and they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes he must remain a little while.” This is probably once again a description of the antichrist. We have seven kings, so there are these powerful kings involved. Five have already come and gone, so they are gone. Then it says, “the one is,” so there is a present king even as he sees this vision or is writing at this point, and then “the other is yet to come.” So, it could be it is describing the Roman emperor right now yet there is one that is yet to come who would be like the Roman emperor would be the antichrist who sits over the Roman empire. When he comes, he must “remain a little while,” so he won’t be ruling for very long. We know the Tribulation Period lasts a total of seven years and the antichrist doesn’t seem to come to power until about the middle of the Tribulation. So, his reign over the earth, while it is terrible and powerful, it is relatively short.
Then in Revelation 17:11 it says, “The beast which was and is not, is himself also an eight and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction.” Rather complicated wording here, but we do get the idea that there is a link between the beast of the antichrist and the rulers that have gone before him, so that in some sense he is one of them and yet he is not . . .
As we continue Revelation 17, John has just been given a revelation about the great harlot, which I believe, is the picture of the great apostacy at the end of time. This world religious system that is opposed to everything that is related to God. We see in Revelation 17:6, this whole system hates the Lord and the Lord’s people. Perhaps this is a combination of all the false religious systems that have ever existed. As John looks at that and he is told about the martyrdom of the saints, it says in Revelation 17:6 that he “wondered greatly.”
We see an angel address John in Revelation 17:7 saying, “And the angel said to me, ‘Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.’” So, the angel is telling John he doesn’t need to wonder because he is going to tell him the mystery. Remember mysteries in the New Testament are almost always a revelation of something that we would not have known if God had not told us. So, this is a revealing. God is revealing to us through John something we would never have known. So, the angel tells him that he is going to give him that revelation and tell him about the mystery of this harlot and the beast. There are two different entities here. There is the religious system represented by the harlot and there is the beast that represents the antichrist. He is going to talk to us about that which he says has the seven heads and ten horns.
He continues in Revelation 17:8 saying, “The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction.” So, he immediately moves to the beast, or the antichrist. This is difficult to really get our heads around, but it seems like the beast was one that was – meaning that it had existed before - the beast has lived but is not - meaning he has died - but then is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction – meaning he is now going to resurrect and ultimately be destroyed. So, we see once again this mimicking that Satan utilizes when it comes to the things of God. He is mimicking Christ with the antichrist. The Christ who lived, died, and was resurrected and then went to eternal life at the right hand of the Father . . .
We continue in Revelation 17, and we are looking at a place that is being described as Babylon. Revelation 17 seems to be about a religious Babylon. A religious system that is part of the antichrist empire. Instigated and energized by Satan himself. Revelation 18 appears to be a Babylon that is economic and commercial. We will see that when we get there.
As we look at Revelation 17, we find a description of someone called the “great harlot.” Not a very pretty word, is it? Revelation 17:1 says, “Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me saying, ‘Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters.’” The harlot harbors back to the Old Testament when harlotry was mentioned in the Old Testament in a symbolic way. It almost always spoke of a spiritual idolatry or apostacy. It wasn’t an immoral thing in a sexual sense. It is an idolatry. A turning away from God and to false religions, so we have the greatest of all false religions going on here. The verse says, “she sits on many waters,” which is a description in Revelation of people. So, she is ruling over the masses of the people. We continue in 17:2 saying, “with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality.” We find that the kings are really wrapped into this as well. She is holding a power over even the kings of the earth at this time, and they are drunk with her immorality and with what they are gaining from her.
Revelation 17:3 gives us a further description of this harlot saying, “And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns.” Two things catch our attention here. This description of the scarlet beast is just like Revelation 13:1, a description of the antichrist. We have the antichrist here at this point and we see that the great harlot is sitting on the antichrist indicating that she has power and control even over him at this point. He is there and they are working in conjunction it seems, but she is predominating. This religious system seems to be predominating at this point. She has seven heads and ten horns describing, apparently seven different world empires . . .
We are looking at Revelation 17. I am not sure that Revelation 17 & 18 progress the chronology at all. It seems to be information that perhaps is being filled in throughout the Tribulation Period, and so it is kind of back tracking a little bit filling in some details that are helpful to us. However, Revelation 17, 18 & 19 are about judgment. It’s about the judgment on the kingdom of Satan and the judgment on the kingdom of the antichrist. In Revelation 17 we are going to look at the judgment on the religious system that the antichrist is part of, and Satan has fostered on the earth. Revelation 18 will be judgment upon the economic system, and the business world that has become part and parcel of the antichrist kingdom and system. Finally, we look at the destruction of the military might of the antichrist. Satan’s army comes out in all its power against Christ Himself as He returns, and they fail miserably. So, judgment on the religious, economic, and military might of the antichrist backed by Satan is where we are going in the next three chapters.
Looking at Revelation 17:1 it says, “Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came.” Remember those are the last judgments that were poured out. The Seven Bowl Judgments. The verse continues, “and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters.” We see the judgments that are going to be unfolded for us in this text. In Revelation 17:2 it says, “with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality. And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness.”
Before we look at the details of this judgment, or at least the individuals that are part of this judgment, let’s first look at Revelation 17:3 where it says, “he carried me away in the Spirit.” Four different times in the book of Revelation we have this type of rhetoric of being carried away in the Spirit or being in the Spirit. Each of those times that this happens, we have a turning point in the book of Revelation. In Revelation 1:10, in the opening scenes of the book of Revelation, we find that just prior to the messages to the seven churches, John is in the Spirit. It says, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet.”
We have been looking at the Bowl Judgments of Revelation 16 and finished last time looking at the response of the people on the earth to the judgments of God. Remember these are the final judgments that God is throwing down on the earth before His return. We have a very good picture of how people have reacted to the Lord Himself and to all He has done. Three different times in the text of this Scripture it says that they blaspheme Him. Twice it says they do not repent. Their attitude is resistance, rebelliousness, defiance, and hatred toward God and toward everything that God stands for. So, that has been the reaction of the unsaved people, the followers of the antichrist during the Tribulation Period.
We left off last time by asking another question. What should be our response to these things that we talk about as end time events? The fancy theological term is eschatology. The eschatological events of the end times that God gives us which is the prophecy of telling us things that are going to happen in the future. How should we be responding to those things? It doesn’t tell us here about that, but we can go back to another passage in 2 Peter 3 which is talking about very similar things. As a matter of fact, it is talking about the judgment of God at His return. We find there in 2 Peter 3:11-14 the response that God would have us have. Let’s back up to 2 Peter 3:10 to start. There it says, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.” This is right at the time, maybe just a little further down the line from what we are reading in the book of Revelation, when the Lord destroys all these things on earth. So, how should we respond? Peter offers two suggestions here, 2 Peter 3:11, “Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness.” Since it is all going to vanish - everything the world has lived for and counted on and loved is going to be burned up and destroyed. What kind of people then ought we to be? He already gives us a clue here. He talks about the kind of people we ought to be “in holy conduct and godliness.” So that lays the foundation, right?
We are looking at the seventh Bowl Judgment that is found in Revelation 16:17, and this is the final judgment to be poured out on the earth before the Lord comes back.
It says in Revelation 16:17, “Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, ‘It is done.’” Here are the final judgments. It is done. All that the Lord had planned to do has now been completed and He is in preparation to return to the earth and claim the earth as His own.
It says in Revelation 16:18, “And there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder; and there was a great earthquake, such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth, so great an earthquake was it, and so mighty.” So, we have this powerful earthquake, a real movement of the ground and movement of the earth. Nothing has ever happened like this before.
As we move into Revelation 16:19, we see the effects on the earth and the cities from this great earthquake. It says, “The great city was split into three parts,” the great city here would be the city of Jerusalem, “and the cities of the nations fell.” Babylon is the other great nation found in the book of Revelation, which is a picture of fallen humanity: the business, the economics, the worldview, the lifestyle, and the spirit of the antichrist are all depicted in the city of Babylon. So, we have the great city Jerusalem split into three parts and the verse continues and says, “Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath.” While we are thinking about these cities, we once again want to go back to Zechariah 14:4, and here we see something happening in this area very similar to what is happening in the book of Revelation. It says, “In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives,” this is the return of Christ, and Christ physically returns and stands on the Mount of Olives outside of Jerusalem, “which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south.” . . .
As we continue in Revelation 16 and the final judgments that the Lord is going to pour out on the earth during the Tribulation Period. We had earlier looked at the seven Seal Judgments. Then there was the seven Trumpet Judgments. Then there was the seven Thunder Judgments, of which we are given no information as to what the content of those judgments are. Finally, we are given the seven Bowl Judgments that we are looking at right now. These are judgments that apparently are poured out on the earth in a rapid succession right at the end of the Tribulation Period. We worked our way through Revelation 16:11, and we are now ready for the sixth of the seven judgments.
We find the sixth judgment in Revelation 16:12, “The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates,” this is the major river in the middle east in the land of Israel. It has a lot of history in the Bible. The verse continues, “and its water was dried up, so that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east.” Notice something is happening here in preparation for an army that comes from the east. The river dries up and this army is then able to come forth.
In Revelation 16:13 it says, “And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs.” The purpose of these unclean spirits we will see in a moment. They are like frogs. They are not actual frogs. This is a metaphorical picture. We find the unholy trinity participating in something completely demonic and evil. Revelation 16:14 continues, “for they were spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty.” These unclean spirits are probably metaphorical and speak of the messages and words going forth from the unholy trinity of Satan, the antichrist, and the false prophet with the intention of bringing the armies of the world to this specific location. They are going out doing what they always do: Deceiving! Deceiving the kings and nations of the earth. They have deceived them in such a way that they are going to bring them to themselves. Some places in Scripture it looks like these armies are coming together to have war with the antichrist . . .
Last time we began our study of the Bowl Judgments found in Revelation 16. We looked at the first three of those judgments being poured out.
We are going to back up for just a moment to Revelation 16:5 and look at another piece of information concerning the third Bowl Judgment. It says, “And I heard the angel of the waters saying.” So, we find that angels are extremely active in the book of Revelation during this time of the Tribulation. We have here the angel of the waters at this point, and in some sense or some way this angel has command over waters that are being affected. We find something similar in other places in the book of Revelation. For example, if you go to Revelation 7:1, it speaks of four angels who are related to the wind saying, “After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth.” We see these angels that are somehow in command of, or in charge of these winds. In Revelation 9:11, we have another angel mentioned when it says here, “They have a king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon.” This is Satan himself we believe, and he is an evil and sinful angel that is the king over the abyss, the angel over the abyss. Then in Revelation 14:18 it says, “Then another angel, came out of the temple which is in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. Then another angel, the one who has power over fire, came out from the altar.” This angel has power over fire. Now we are coming back to the Bowl Judgment in Revelation 16:5 and this is the angel of the waters. We don’t know exactly what all that means and how the angels have power and control over these things: the wind, abyss, fire, and water. What we do know is they are actively involved, and they are mentioned here in the book of Revelation.
We move on now to the fourth Bowl Judgment in Revelation 16:8 it says, “The fourth angel poured out his bowl upon the sun, and it was given to it to scorch men with fire.” We have once again, the sun being affected by some of these judgments. This time we have the ultimate in global warming as people are now being scorched with fire. We don’t know exactly what that means except that once again we have an intense heat that is miserable for those people that are on the earth . . .
Going through Revelation 16 we will find the Bowl Judgments. These are the last series of judgments that God pours out on the earth during the Tribulation Period. We have been in between these judgments for a while. The Seven Bowls are actually the content of seventh Trumpet Judgment.
In Revelation 16:1 it says, “Then I heard a loud voice from the temple, saying to the seven angels, ‘Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.’” First, we saw at the end of Revelation 15 that the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle in heaven to such a degree that nothing could be in that temple because of the powerfulness of God’s glory. So, we find that the voice coming from the temple must be the voice of God himself as there is no other being in the temple. So, the loud voice is the voice of God. He is speaking to the seven angels. He sends forth seven angels now to bring about these final judgments on the earth. One other thing we would observe here is that this is a singular command. He is not commanding each individual angel to go and pour out their bowls, but He is commanding them collectively. That implies to us that these judgments are going to happen very rapidly, one right after the other, and perhaps some of them simultaneously. So, we don’t have a great deal of lag time between these judgments. They could have happened in a matter of hours or days, so it is not with great periods of time between them.
We start with the first bowl judgment in Revelation 16:2 which says, “So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth; and it became a loathsome and malignant sore on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image.” We are not exactly sure what these malignant sores are, but this specific word is translated in the Septuagint, the Greek Old Testament Bible, as boils, and very similar if not the same thing that Job experienced back in the book of Job. I don’t know how many of you have ever had boils before, but I had a whole series of them when I was about junior high age. They are very painful and very uncomfortable things to have. So, we have a group of people that are just covered with these boils. These are very painful skin conditions . . .
We looked at Revelation 15:8 last time, but I want to go back to it. It says, “And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power; and no one was able to enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.” We have this picture of the holy of holies so to speak, the tabernacle of God in heaven, that is so filled with the glory of God that no one can enter it until these plagues have been poured out which happens in Revelation 16. What I would like to discuss this time is that this type of thing has happened before, and that there is connection with events in the Old Testament that give us a better understanding of what is happening here.
First, I want to go back to Exodus once again. We find that the people have come out of Egypt, and they are at Mount Sinai when the Lord is giving the Ten Commandments. When the Lord is going to give the Ten Commandments something very similar to what we see in Revelation 15:8 happened in Exodus 19:18-21 which says, “Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the Lord descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently. When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him with thunder. The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain; and the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. Then the Lord spoke to Moses, ‘Go down, warn the people, so that they do not break through to the Lord to gaze, and many of them perish.’” This is an awe-inspiring, awesome moment when the glory of God came down in a unique way on the mountain where the Ten Commandments are going to be given in Revelation 20. He is giving an expression of His greatness, and of His glory. Smoke is mentioned there and is in a sense hiding the glory of God because no one could possibly stand to see Him in all of His glory and all of His essence. The people, however, could understand what was going on because of the thunder, noises, and the smoke. Moses is to warn his people not to try to break through to see more of His glory as that would be deadly for them to do so.
We are going to complete Revelation 15. We are having a great worship service here just prior to the final judgments that are going to be poured out on the earth at the Tribulation time known as the seven Bowl Judgments. They begin to take place in Revelation 16. Prior to that, we have this worship service that we have been looking at.
Let’s pick up in Revelation 15:5, “After these things I looked, and the temple of the tabernacle of testimony in heaven was opened.” We have a very unique thing happening that John is experiencing as part of his vision. Remember there are two visions in this chapter. One has to do with the Tribulation saints who have been victorious and have not bowed their knees to the antichrist, Revelation 15:1-4, and now we have this second vision that has to do with the tabernacle of testimony of God in heaven. John is virtually getting to peer into the holy of holies in heaven. This had to be a frightening and awe-inspiring experience for him to see such a thing, and it is going to get even more impressive as we press on.
It continues in Revelation 15:6 saying, “and the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple, clothed in linen, clean and bright, and girded around their chests with golden sashes.” We see these angels now who are going to have these plagues, these final plagues called the Bowl Judgments showing up. If we drop down to Revelation 16:1, it says, “Then I heard a loud voice from the temple,” so here we are at the temple, “saying to the seven angels, ‘go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.’” Then they begin to systematically pour out those bowls of judgment. We have the seven angels and the descriptions that we have of those angels concerning being clothed in linen bright and clean and being girded with golden sashes have all shown up earlier and again later in the book of Revelation. These symbolisms are the recognition of the cleanliness and the holiness and the purity of the servants of God . . .
We worked our way through the first couple of verses last time. We are at the end of Revelation 15:3 concerning a wonderful worship service that is taking place. John is seeing two visions:
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One, has to do with the Tribulation saints who are victorious. They have not bowed the knee to the beast. They have not taken the image of the antichrist and they are victorious for that reason. Whether or not they survived the Tribulation, I am not sure. We do know they are victorious because they followed the Lord.
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Second, there is a worship service going on and part of that worship service is two songs. One is the song of Moses in Revelation 15:3 and we looked at that back in Exodus 15. If you want to go back there and study that more intently, you will find that about seventeen to eighteen verses make up that song at the time of the exodus after the children of Israel had crossed the Red Sea and God had given them a great marvelous victory there.
There is a second song, a newer song, called the “song of the Lamb.” We find the content of that song in Revelation 15:3-4, “Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; For all the nations will come and worship before You, for Your righteous acts have been revealed.” There are twelve different songs, or poetic expressions, found in the book of Revelation. This is one of them. This is one we are given quite a bit of content. What we find here is speaking about God. It gives us three things that we should know about Him.
We started looking at these final set of judgments known as the Bowl Judgments last time. The chronology of the book, the timeline of the book of Revelation, is starting to move forward again. Revelation 12, 13 & 14 did not advance the timeline, but this does. We are going to have a great worship service just prior to the final judgments being poured out, these Bowl Judgments. This is not unusual in the book of Revelation. In fact, before each of the other major judgments that were poured out, there was a worship service before that.
If you go back for a moment to Revelation 6, you see the first set of judgments known as the Seal Judgments, there are seven of them, and they begin to be poured out in Revelation 6. Just prior to that, however, we have this wonderful worship service in heaven. Possibly the greatest example of heavenly worship anywhere in the Bible in Revelation 4 & 5. They deal with the worship of God the Father and God the Son by all the angelic hosts. It is a glorious, glorious worship service. Then in Revelation 6:1 he says that he saw one of the seals broken by the Lamb and these judgments begin to pour out. The same thing is true for the second series of judgments known as the Trumpet Judgments. Those are picked up in Revelation 8. The seventh Seal Judgment contains the seven Trumpet Judgments. That’s the content of the seventh seal. All of that began in Revelation 8, but prior to that there was again a wonderful worship service. In Revelation 7:11 it says, “And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God.” So, prior to the pouring out of this series of judgments we have the angelic and heavenly beings once again, especially the elders and the four living creatures, worshiping God. When we go back to Revelation 15, we are ready for this next series of judgments. This series goes back to Revelation 11:14, when it speaks of a third woe coming. Remember the final three Trumpet Judgments were called woes because they were so horrendous and horrible. The third woe was coming it says in Revelation 11:14 and then in Revelation 11:15 it announces the seventh Trumpet Judgment, but it doesn’t give us much detail about what it is about.
We are looking at Revelation 15. In Revelation, we have come to a place where there was no chronological movement for a while. At the end of Revelation 11 we find the seventh Trumpet Judgment that was sounded starting in Revelation 15:15. There is some detail there, but the content of the seventh Trumpet Judgment is not given at that point and then in Revelation 12, 13 & 14, we have some other information given that doesn’t seem to advance the chronological narrative of the account. Then we come to Revelation 15 and the chronology picks up and we start to move forward now in time. It says in Revelation 15:1, “Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous.” John is going to see a sign. As a matter of fact, Revelation 15 has two visions that John sees and the first one pertains to the Tribulation saints and that is what we will look at today. The first vision pertaining to the Tribulation saints. So, he sees this sign and it continues, “seven angels who had seven plagues, which are the last, because in them the wrath of God is finished.” This is the final outpouring of the wrath of God in the Tribulation period. We have already seen the Trumpet Judgments and we have seen the Seal Judgments before that and there was something called the Thunder Judgments that we were not given the content of. They are sealed up. Now, we have the Bowl Judgments. These are being poured out right at the very end of the Tribulation. It is coming right to the very last weeks perhaps and so forth. These are being poured out and it says here that, “in them the wrath of God is finished.” We are going to have a great worship service here that begins in Revelation 15:2 saying, “And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God.” Then we move into the worship service. As we think about that, we see these victorious saints coming out of the Tribulation. It is a little hard to know if victorious means they escaped death and martyrdom and have come to the end of the Tribulation without dying, or perhaps they were victorious in dying for the Lord and are with Him. We find them here standing on the sea of glass holding harps of God . . .
As we complete Revelation 14 today, we are looking at what is generally called the Battle of Armageddon today. Last time, we saw the coming of Christ in Revelation 14:14-16. He is coming in judgment upon those who have rejected Him and especially those who have been following the antichrist during the time of the Tribulation. Now we have, what we call, the Battle of Armageddon. We have pictures of this in many places in Scripture and especially in Revelation 19.
Let’s begin with Revelation 14:17, “And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle.” This is the fifth angel that has stepped up here since Revelation 14:6. He had a sharp sickle along with the Lord himself.
Revelation 14:18, “Then another angel, the one who has power over fire, came out from the altar; and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, ‘Put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe.’” We have another angel commanding that the beginning of the judgment take place. He tells them to put in this sharp sickle, this is metaphorically speaking of the reaping of judgment upon those who have rejected Him. He says, “because her grapes are ripe.” The time has come. The judgment is here. Christ is coming at His Second Coming.
We see the angel in Revelation 14:19, “So the angel swung his sickle to the earth and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God. And the wine press was trodden outside the city.” That is probably a picture of the city outside of Jerusalem. We find in other places concerning the battle of Armageddon that this takes place outside of Jerusalem and not in Jerusalem. So that is probably what he is talking about here. Revelation 14:20 says, “And the blood came out of the wine press, up to the horses’ bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles.” The picture is of great devastation. Massive bloodshed. Think about this, if all of the armies of the earth have gathered to oppose Jesus Christ, then the slaughtering of those armies, the destruction of those armies would bring about massive amounts of blood. That is the picture that we have here . . .
We pick up our study in Revelation 14:14. This is a picture of the Second Coming of Christ. The fuller picture will be found in Revelation 19, but we get a prelude to what is going to happen here in Revelation 14.
In Revelation 14:14 we have this, “Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one like a son of man, having a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand.” That little verse covers a lot of material. First, “I looked and behold a white cloud.” This is a picture going back to Daniel 7 for those that knew the Old Testament, and many of the readers of the original group that read this did. There we have a great scene of the Father and the Son, and the same phrase, One like the Son of Man. The term Son of Man originates also in this context back to Daniel 7. It is a picture of the Messiah. It is a title for the Messiah. When Jesus was on earth, He often called himself the Son of Man, going right back to Daniel 7. As a matter of fact, He got Himself in trouble on the final time with the Pharisees and Sadducees that sent Him to the cross when He determined before them that He was the Son of Man. They knew exactly what He was talking about because they knew Daniel 7. It was a depiction of the Messiah who was to come, and they knew that. We now have a picture of the Son of Man taking us right back to Daniel 7. Then it says, “having a golden crown on His head,” that would be a picture of His rulership and reigning over the earth. At the Second Coming of Christ, He assumes the reign that has always been His over the whole planet and universe, and He will have a crown to show us that. Then it says, “a sharp sickle in His hand.” One more piece of information here. This sickle would be a sign of judgment. This is going to be part of the means by which judgment comes upon those who have rejected Christ and followed the antichrist. That entry verse says a great deal about what is going to happen next.
In Revelation 14:15 we have another angel. We have had four angels now going back to Revelation 14:6 who have stepped up and said something. Now we have another one. “And another angel came out of the temple, crying out with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud.” So, here is an angel proclaiming something. What is he going to proclaim? He says, “Put in your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe.” What he is saying here is that it is time for judgment. It is time for the Son of Man, Christ Himself, to bring judgment upon the earth. So, he calls for that and he says, “the harvest of the earth is ripe.” This is interesting because not only is the harvest ripe, but the original Greek word means “dry.” It would be like fruit, like a raspberry that has gone beyond ripeness all the way to beginning to dry up. In other words, the time for judgment has come and it is even past time. The Lord has tarried in patience and longsuffering with those who have rejected Him, even beyond what He ever should have done in some ways. That is what the angel is saying. It’s ripe, it’s ready to go, it’s time for the harvest . . .
We looked last time at the mark of the beast and the destiny of those that follow the antichrist and take his mark upon themselves, and it’s a devastating and ugly picture of punishment on those that do it. As I said last time, one of the most gruesome pictures, in all of Scripture regarding judgment is found in those verses.
In Revelation 14:12-13 we find another group of people. Remember back in Revelation 14:6 we had an angel proclaiming an eternal gospel. Many of the people rejected that gospel and took the mark of the beast, worshiped the beast, but there are a group of people who did not do that, and they have instead followed the Lord. Some of those were possibly saved out of that message from the angel, others perhaps came to Christ earlier. We know that we do have a group of people in the Tribulation, who have not bowed the knee to the antichrist and have not taken his mark. They suffer temporal consequences as a result, but not eternal consequences and we will pick up their story starting in Revelation 14:12.
It says in Revelation 14:12, “Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.” That is probably a commentary by John himself. He sees a group of saints and they are persevering. They are steadfast in following the Lord and in keeping His commandments and in their faith. So, this is a group of people that have walked with him and are walking with him.
Then he hears a voice from heaven in Revelation 14:13, “And I heard a voice from heaven, saying “Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’” There are seven beatitudes in the book of Revelation, or seven Blessed statements. This is the second one of them. “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!” Many of them are going to be martyred. Why? Because they refuse to take the mark of the beast. They refuse to follow him. This is picking up on Revelation 6:11. Remember back in the first series of Seal Judgments that were going on and we find in Revelation 6:11 that it says, “And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also.” This is a picture there of the martyrs who had followed Christ and died for that reason . . .
Last time we talked about the third angel in this chapter who has come with a message. This message has to do with the mark of the beast. The mark of the beast, as we see in Revelation 14:9, is a mark of allegiance to the antichrist, to the beast and a worshiping of him. All those who do that are saying very clearly and directly that they are followers of the antichrist and therefore rejectors of the true Christ, of Jesus Christ Himself. For those people it says that they will receive the wrath of God in full measure in Revelation 14:10. This is what they should expect to happen. Now we are going to look at more details about that. What does that look like? What should the followers of the antichrist expect?
We pick it up in the middle of Revelation 14:10, “and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” This is probably the most graphic, ugly, tragic picture of eternal judgment found in all the scriptures. What an awful thing to consider that because you have worshiped the antichrist and have rejected the true Christ that you will face eternal judgment from God forever and ever. We see here that it speaks of the torment with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. Very graphic.
In the epistles, if we go back to 2 Thessalonians 1, we have a little different picture of the eternal judgment that God brings on those that reject Him. In 2 Thessalonians 1:7, this is probably one of the most detailed pictures in the epistles that we find anywhere, it says, “and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to give relief to the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire.” Now, here the Lord comes, “dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.” 2 Thessalonians 1:9 here is probably the clearest picture in the epistles of what hell, or eternal damnation, looks like. They will pay the penalty of eternal destruction. What a terminology – eternal destruction . . .
Revelation 14 is a very intense and tragic section of the book of Revelation, and yet a very important one as we examine it. We have already gone through the first eight verses. Let me review quickly. There is an angel in Revelation 14:6 that shows up and he proclaims the eternal gospel. This an unusual event. Angels do not normally proclaim any kind of gospel. They have other ministries. They do not proclaim the gospel, but this one does. So, it is kind of like a last invitation to the world. Here is the gospel, worship the Lord, repent of your sin, and avoid the judgment that is to come. The second angel in verse Revelation 14:8 shows up and he starts to talk about the judgment that is coming saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great.” Babylon is perhaps a literal city here, but it also represents the world system in opposition to God. That system is just about to fall. As a matter of fact, at this point in the Tribulation Period, that system is failing, it is beginning to fall. We will see the details in Revelation 16, 17 & 18. Now we have this one angel giving the eternal gospel message, another that is warning of the falling of the world system in opposition to God.
Now in Revelation 14:9, we a have a third angel, who says, “Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, ‘If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand’” This third angel then is basically saying that if you ignore the gospel invitation of the first angel, and if you ignore the warning of judgment to come of the second angel, then here is what is going to happen as the third angel proclaims that. He is talking about this mark of the beast. Almost everybody knows something about the mark of the beast even if they, do not understand what we are seeing here. We find this mark of the beast connected with the worship of the antichrist, or the beast. I want to say a couple things about that. In our age right now, there is a lot of fear, conspiracy theories, and people get really upset wondering about this mark, and even confused that perhaps they are inadvertently taking the mark of the beast by maybe putting a chip into their system. With our technology today, more and more chips of various kinds are being implanted, and there are chips that perhaps in the future could be used for tracking and other such purposes. In fact, some tracking chips already exist. My point here is, there are people that are concerned that if they do use something like this, they could inadvertently be taking the mark of the beast and therefore condemned as this passage will say. I want to show you here that this is not the case whatsoever. The mark of the beast is an intentional allegiance to the beast – the antichrist. It is basically saying, “I am a follower of the antichrist.” There is nothing accidental or inadvertent going on. This is an INTENTIONAL act. Notice it says, “if anyone worships the beast or his image and receives the mark on his forehead or his hand.” So, this is an act not only of allegiance but also of worship. So, whomever is taking the mark of the beast is saying, “I am a follower of the antichrist and I worship him as if he is God.” So, they see him as God, and they worship him as such . . .
Today we continue with Revelation 14 which is one of the pictures of the return of Christ. We have studied through Revelation 14:7 so far. We find some interesting things taking place. The Lamb of God is poised to come back at the Second Coming. He is coming, not to die on a cross this time, but to bring judgment upon the world. The one hundred forty-four thousand are with Him. They are joining Him at this point to return with Him, along with the saints whom we find in Revelation 19 who have been washed in the blood of the Lamb. Then we have seen a worship service where the angelic beings are singing a new song in Revelation 14:3. This is a song that only the one hundred forty-four thousand can comprehend. They may have joined in, or they may not have, but they do understand the song. Then we have an angel in Revelation 14:6 who has gone forth to proclaim an eternal gospel that includes the message, of repentance to every tribe, nation and people. An invitation for the world to worship the Lord Himself. Remember, prior to this, they have been worshiping the false prophet, the antichrist and Satan himself – the unholy trinity - in Revelation 12-13. They are now called upon to turn from that and worship the true God. That’s the message so far. It is a message of judgment. He says in Revelation 14:7, “Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come.” Judgment is coming as the Lamb returns to the earth.
The message goes on. There is more to the message, but this time another angel steps up. We see him in Revelation 14:8, “And another angel, a second one, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality.” We find now that this message that is going forth is now going to be concerning Babylon the great who has fallen. It seems in Revelation 14:6-7 there is a final invitation, a final opportunity, a final call to the world to come and follow the Lord Jesus and worship the Father and the Son. But, for those that do not, here is what is coming. The judgment is coming. The Son in coming in judgment, and the judgment is going to come on what is called “Babylon the great” here. “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great.” The fallenness of Babylon is going to be found in Revelation 16, 17 & 18. So, we will look at that more closely later. It seems like Babylon here is probably a literal city. Probably is literally where Babylon has been historically, but it is also symbolic of a world turned against God, both politically and spiritually. So, Babylon is this apostate world system that has turned against the Lord in every conceivable way, and so far through the book of Revelation it appears that those that are part of that world system think they are doing very well. Financially things are humming. They are following a leader who seems to be leading them in the right direction, although it is a godless direction. Things seem to be going well for them, but now the Lord is saying judgment is coming and Babylon is going to fall. We quickly will turn to Revelation 18:2 and read just one verse of that, “And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird.” This is a despicable, godless place and it is about to fall and that is the proclamation being made by this angel.
We are picking up where we left off last time in Revelation 14:4. We have seen a wonderful worship service beginning. The Lord is poised to return to earth at this point. This is a major shift in the narrative of the story of the book of Revelation. In Revelation 14, the Lord is ready to come back and one hundred forty-four thousand stand ready with Him. We find just before this revelation concerning the return of Christ there is a worship service going on in heaven, and we find certain angelic beings singing this new song. They are singing in Revelation 14:3, before the four living creatures and the elders. These are beings we have seen several times in the book of Revelation already. They are singing this new song before them, and no one could learn this song except the one hundred forty-four thousand who have been purchased from the earth. Whether this one hundred forty-four thousand are part of this choir is debatable. They are singing before them and so they are listening, hearing and understand. No one else can pick up the understanding of this new song. So, it is a very interesting song.
Then in Revelation 14:4 it gives a description of the one hundred forty-four thousand, “These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves chaste. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and the to the Lamb. And no lie was found in their mouth; they are blameless.” So, we see of the description of the one hundred forty-four thousand that they are chaste. Not necessarily celibate, it doesn’t have to mean that in the use of the Greek in the New Testament. It does mean they were moral. They were not involved in sexual immorality of any kind. They are followers of the Lamb. That is who they are, the disciples and followers of the Lamb. They have been purchased by the Lamb Himself to follow Him. There is no lie found in their mouth. They are blameless. That does not mean they are sinless. Remember we find in the book of Job that he was blameless, not sinless. We see a very high standard of morality and living and these men, whatever they say, they say in truth. So, we have that picture of the one hundred forty-four thousand ready to come back with the Lord . . .
We begin Revelation 14 this time. Even though there is about a third of the book of Revelation left, we are chronologically moving toward the very end of the Tribulation Period, and we are previewing the return of Christ Himself. Revelation 14 is going to give that prelude, and Revelation 19 will be the full picture of the return of Christ, but Revelation 14 leads up to it. This is a very pivotal point in the book of Revelation. The last two chapters we have been dealing mostly with those who are false. The false prophet, the false antichrist and the false dragon, Satan himself. So that has dominated Revelation 12-13. When we get to Revelation 14 however, we are looking at Christ Himself and the prelude to the return of Himself. So, this is a very important section. We are going to go through this rather slowly and see what God has for us.
Revelation 14 opens with us moving into a worship service of sort. It says in Revelation 14:1, “Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads.” We are immediately introduced to two different groups of people. The first one is the Lamb Himself though we may not realize it at first. We talk about the Lamb of God and sing about the Lamb of God a lot. When you come to the New Testament, you find only two other times prior to the book of Revelation in which Jesus is called the Lamb of God directly. That is by John the Baptist in John 1:29 where he says, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” But, when we come to the book of Revelation, the title - the Lamb of God - is extremely predominant. Thirty-one different times He is identified as the Lamb of God. The Lamb of God in the gospels is the one who has come to take away the sins of the world. The Lamb of God in the book of Revelation is the Lamb who is coming in judgment upon those who rejected Him, rejected His Father, and rejected the gospel of redemption.
John is looking now, and he sees on Mount Zion the Lamb of God poised to return to the earth. With Him there are one hundred and forty-four thousand. We ran into these individuals back in Revelation 7. These are followers of Christ who have been marked and sealed by the Lord Himself so that nothing can harm them, and they apparently go forth and take the gospel to the world so that great multitudes come to Him at that time. This is the group that we see. As John looks at Mount Zion, he sees them. Some believe they have persevered through the whole Tribulation Period. We are coming to the last days now of that Tribulation. They have stood firm, following the Lord, proclaimed His message and they have survived throughout all the plagues and the trials of the Tribulation Period. Others like Robert Thomas believe that they have been martyred at this point or at least somewhere prior to this point and they stand ready to return with Christ with the rest of the saints at this moment. So, either way, we find that they are with the Lamb of God, and we find that they have the name of the Father on their foreheads. This is an indication of His control of them. His ownership of them. So, these are not simply individuals who are out on their own doing their own thing following the Lord. They belong to the Lamb, and they belong to the Father, and they are now ready to return and triumph with Him at the Second Coming . . .
Revelation 13 has been very fascinating because it has been revealed to us two key world leaders during the time of the Tribulation Period. These are both people empowered by Satan himself. They are Satan’s men. We call the first one the antichrist, or the beast out of the sea, and the other is the beast out of the land whom we have identified in Revelation 14 as the false prophet. This unholy trinity has been unleashed on the world, so to speak, and for three and a half years they are a force to be reckoned with. They want complete control and charge over all things, and they want to be worshiped.
We pick up in Revelation 13:16 which says this, “And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.” This is a portion of the book of Revelation that is known by many people. The mark of the beast. We often talk about it. We have heard a lot about the mark of the beast. Even unsaved people who know very little about the scriptures are familiar with the mark of the beast and the 666 mentioned here as that number. So, let’s talk about it for just a moment.
This is a mark that is on their right hand or their forehead. Will that mark be visible? I don’t know. It could be a tattoo or an imbedded chip of some sort. We do know it is definitely a mark that is on their right hand or their forehead. One or the other. Without that mark, you are not able to buy or sell therefore, you virtually cannot survive without that mark. What does it mean when it says that mark of the beast is 666 saying that number is the mark of mankind? What he is saying is this is a symbol of allegiance to the devil and to the antichrist. That is important to us because this is not simply an accidental thing . . .
We are looking today at the second beast that is found in this chapter. The first beast we have looked at and identified as whom we call the antichrist. He is the principal character, the leader of the world during this time. The second beast is, “the beast out of the land,” according to Revelation 13:11. He is the beast that plays a secondary, but very valuable and important role.
As a matter of fact, this beast is identified in Revelation 16:13 as the false prophet. Let’s look at that verse, “And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs.” We are not going to look at this any further right now because we will look at it later in our study, but notice that the unholy trinity is identified.
Satan is the dragon who mimics the Father. We have the beast of the antichrist who mimics the Son, and we have the false prophet (the second beast in Revelation 13) who mimics the Holy Spirit because he functions as the spiritual leader drawing attention and worship to the antichrist. That’s his task. While the antichrist seems to be the leader economically, militarily, and politically of the whole world system during this time, the false prophet is the leader of the spiritual world at this same time.
We have seen the description of the second beast, and as we look at Revelation 13:13, we see what he does, “He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men.” He has power. He may not have the same amount of power as the antichrist, but he has power, and he brings fire out of heaven. What else does he do? He deceives, 13:14, “And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life.” He is a deceiver. We recall that this is what Satan does all the time. This is his principal weapon. In Revelation 12:9 for example, in speaking of the devil, it calls him here the “great dragon…the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world.” Satan, as we find in the New Testament epistles, deceives. In the book of Revelation, he deceives. So, we are not surprised that his minions deceive, especially the antichrist and the false prophet. He does it by using signs. He can do these miracles and wonders and so forth. The world is impressed, and they worship the antichrist, and they are deceived because of his power, his methods and so forth that he does in the presence of the beast. We pick up halfway in Revelation 13:14 and it says, “telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image of the beast,” not only are they worshiping the antichrist correctly, but they made an idol of him. This image is probably the one that is set up in the temple of God that perhaps is spoken of in 2 Thessalonians 2, but also is spoken of in Daniel 9 where it talks about the abomination of desolation in which there is actual worship in the temple of someone other than God Himself. This image is set up there at this time so that these people worship the image of the beast . . .
We are looking at what we call the antichrist in Revelation 13. He has now stepped up. He is Satan’s man. We have seen that several times already. He has been killed. Some believe that it was the two witnesses back in Revelation 11 that killed him, because it said anybody that would oppose the witnesses would face their wrath and be devoured by them. So, some believe they killed him, and now he has been brought back to life and then he goes and takes their lives. That is a bit of guess work. It is not impossible. It all seems to be wrapping around the same timeframe, but we won’t be dogmatic about that. We will say it is a possibility. Nevertheless, he has come back to life, and he is being worshiped and honored and feared by the world.
We also find that in Revelation 13:5 his speech is arrogant and blasphemous, it says, “There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him. And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven.” We can hear his arrogance. He is given authority for forty-two months. Once again, we are at that three-and-a-half-year timeframe. This begins at the midpoint of the Tribulation and continues to the Second Coming of Christ. He is blaspheming God. He is basically setting himself up as God according to 2 Thessalonians 2. He is sitting in the temple. He wants worship, and at the same time he is blaspheming the Lord himself.
In Revelation 13:7 it says, “It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them,” once again we have war going on and this time against the saints and he is victorious, “and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him.” He is absolute monarch of the earth at this stage. It has been given to him to have this power. The question is who gives him this power? Is it the devil who is obviously empowering the antichrist or is it God Himself who has allowed him to set up for this period of time? We are not certain, but we are certain that at the very least, God would have had to allow it.
In Revelation 13:8 it says, “All who dwell on the earth will worship him,” we have some exceptions coming here, “everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.” In other words, only everyone who is not a believer is going to worship the antichrist. However, those who are on earth at this time whose names are in the book of life and who know the Lord as their Savior will not worship him. They will be worshiping God and following Christ . . .
We will spend the next several sections in Revelation 13 where we have some very interesting and fascinating details during the Tribulation Period. From Revelation 13-19, the key character is what we call the antichrist. I have mentioned before that the antichrist is never called the antichrist in the New Testament or the Old Testament. He is called the beast out of the sea and various other names such as the man of lawlessness. However, we know him best by the term antichrist so that is what we will go with. As we look at Revelation 13 we find two beasts. The first one we believe is the antichrist.
Revelation 13:1 says, “And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore,” remember that the dragon is the devil. “Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names.” This beast comes out of the sea. There have been considerable conjectures as to the meaning of “coming out of the sea.” Some think that means coming out of the sea of humanity, others believe this is a picture of possibly coming out of the abyss. Maybe it is simply a distinction between this beast and the second one. Either way, this beast is coming out of the sea of iniquity or evilness. So, we don’t really know exactly what this phrase means. What we do know is that with the picture of his horns and his heads and his diadems, although not identical to what we see back in Revelation 12:3 concerning the devil, it is very, very similar. Therefore, we know right up front this is the devil’s man. It will become much clearer throughout the chapter. This is Satan’s person. He was sent by the devil to do his work.
We find in Revelation 13:2, “And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion.” We see these metaphors and pictures of ferocious beasts that depict what the antichrist is like. We can go a little further than that though. These are the same kind of beasts mentioned in the book of Daniel that describe the empires of that time: the Babylonian Empire, the Medo-Persian Empire, and the Greek Empire. Looking at the scriptures in Daniel, we can say that this is somehow rolling together all of these great empires of the past and he is going to take on the manifestations and ferociousness and evilness of those empires of ancient times. There is a connection there to some degree.
We continue in Revelation 12, and as I mentioned before, there are three wars described in this chapter:
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War on the earth as Satan goes after Christ Himself and after Israel.
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War in heaven as we see Michael and his angels in battle with Satan and his demons.
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War on the earth once again starting in Revelation 12:13.
Remember that Satan has been cast down and thrown out of heaven. He no longer has any access to the heavenlies or access to God. That has not been true throughout all these centuries because until now, although he has no authority in heaven and he is simply one that comes before the Lord to report to Him, still he has access to the heavenly places. That is now no longer true.
Starting in Revelation 12:13, he is now thrown down to earth, and we pick up the story at that point, “And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child.” Satan is now on the earth and cut off from the heavenly places. We identified this woman earlier in Revelation 12 as Israel. Israel has given birth to the Messiah, Jesus Christ. “But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and a half a time, from the presence of the serpent.” Time, times and half time is the old style of saying three and a half years. She is protected. The Lord enables her to flee. Satan wants to destroy Israel. Satan has always wanted to destroy Israel. We think of the holocaust as an example and other attempts at destroying the nation. None of those ever happen and none of those ever will happen. The Lord is protecting His people. Here is the greatest challenge Israel has ever faced. The devil himself is trying to destroy her and the Lord gives her the wings to fly away and be protected.
In Revelation 12:15, Satan pulls out all the stops, “And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood.“ That is probably metaphorical, so what that means we don’t know. Whatever he is doing, he is doing everything in his power to destroy the people of God, the nation of Israel.
But it says in Revelation 12:16, “But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth.” Again, we do not know exactly what that looks like or how the earth was used to protect Israel, but something took place on the planet itself that became a barrier to the attack that Satan was bringing upon the nation of Israel. So, the nation again is protected. Satan is after that nation. He wants to destroy Israel. He could not destroy the Messiah, Christ. Apparently, he tried at the incarnation. He certainly tried at the crucifixion, but he has failed. Now he is very angry . . .
I mentioned last time that in Revelation 12 there are three wars taking place. We looked at the first one last time as Satan stands against the nation of Israel. First, attempting to destroy Jesus Christ, in His incarnation. Having failed at that, he goes after the nation of Israel itself, and God protects them which seems to be a picture of something going on in the Tribulation Period not back at the time of Jesus’ birth. The Lord in Revelation 12:6 has protected them for three and a half years as it says at the end of that verse.
Now we move on to a second war that takes place in heaven. The first one was on earth and this second one is in heaven. This is a very interesting section of Scripture. Something is going on here in heaven that we wouldn’t know about if God didn’t tell us. It says in Revelation 12:7, “And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven.” We have this unique picture of a war taking place between Michael and his elect, righteous angels and Satan and his demons. As we saw back in Revelation 12:4, about a third of the angelic hosts fell with Satan when he rebelled against God. If that is the case, and there is this angelic war, there is nothing quite like this in Scripture. This is a very unique section. We don’t understand it all by any means, but we have this picture where we find that the dragon, who is Satan, is not able to overthrow Michael and his angels, and so they are thrown down.
In Revelation 12:9 it says, “And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan,” so we have no question about who this dragon is, “who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.” These stars in Revelation 12:4, are Satan’s angels, often called demons in the New Testament, are thrown down with him to the earth. They are unable to overcome.
In Revelation 12:10 it says, “Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down he who accuses them before our God day and night.” Notice three times it says that Satan and his minions have been thrown down. That will also be repeated in Revelation 12:13. They are dethroned. They are moved from their position that they had before in the heavenly places and cast down. One of the things that a lot of the people don’t realize is that although Satan has been removed from his glory and his position in heaven because of his rebellion, he still seems to have access to God. We see this in the book of Job where he comes and speaks to God and reports to God. We see this in places like Ephesians 6 when it tells us that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers in heavenly places. So, the demonic angels and Satan have some realm in the heavenly places currently, but that is no more in Revelation 12. At this point, which is the midpoint of the Tribulation Period we believe, they are thrown down out of the position of heaven and down to the earth. Notice here that, “the accuser of the brethren has been thrown down.” That is a unique phrase as well. One of Satan’s tasks is to accuse the people of God before God himself. Kind of like he did in Job. There we have kind of an object lesson of how that works. He wants to accuse us. He wants to tell God just how bad we are, but that doesn’t work out too well for him because of the blood of Jesus Christ . . .
Let’s back up for just a moment and look at Revelation 11:15 where it says, “Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying.” We are looking at the seventh Trumpet Judgment. We have seen the seven Seal Judgments and the seven Trumpet Judgments. Between the sixth and seventh trumpet there has been a parenthesis in the action. Now it is picked up here at the end of the sounding of the seventh trumpet before the next judgments are sounded. These will be the Bowl Judgments that are coming up.
Before that happens, several things take place in the book of Revelation starting with Revelation 12. In Revelation 12 we have wars going on. It seems like the history of humanity is about war. If you have taken history classes, it seems like it goes from one war to the next war to the next war. Without war, sometimes I’m not sure how we would mark our times, and we find that in the book or Revelation as well. In this chapter there are three wars going on. As a matter of fact, the entire book of Revelation is dealing with wars of one kind or the other, but right here at this point we have three.
The first war is on the earth, and it says in Revelation 12:1, “A great sign appeared in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth.” We are going to start out here by looking at the participants in this war. We start off with a great sign in heaven and then a woman who is described here. By process of elimination, we can figure out who she is. There are three other principal women in the book of Revelation. In Revelation 2:20, there is Jezebel, probably not her real name, but it speaks of her false teaching or a false movement in the first century churches. Then there is the great harlot that we are going to run into in Revelation 17, and that is going to be a very interesting study in this spiritual harlotry taking place during the Tribulation Period. Then finally in Revelation 19 we have the bride of Christ that is coming with Him at the Second Coming. So, three other women are identified in the book. This is none of those women. This is a different individual, and again by process of elimination, we see that this woman is none other than Israel . . .
We have just looked at Revelation 11:15 and the seventh Trumpet Judgment has been sounded. This great judgment that is also known as the third woe has revealed to us that there are three great eventsthat are taking place. Two of which we have already seen:
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There is the reign of the Lord, which is coming to fruition at this point.
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There is the reaction of heaven which is rejoicing and praising the Lord for His sovereignty and for His perfect judgment and His perfect reward.
We now move to the third event concerning the Trumpet Judgment. This is the reaction of the people on the earth. We know how the creatures in heaven have reacted. They have rejoiced and praised, but we have just the opposite here in Revelation 11:18 with the nations. It says, “And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came.” As the Lord’s reign becomes more imminent and obvious and as He steps up to take control over all the universe, the world reacts in a very negative way. They are enraged. We are not surprised by this at that. If we read and study the scriptures; we know this is to be expected. Psalm 2 says it very well: the nations always wanted to break God’s bonds. They are always enraged against Him. They do not want to follow Him. This is just one picture. Throughout the Bible, we find people rejecting Him, turning against Him, fighting against Him, crucifying Jesus Christ, resisting the Holy Spirit, and resisting the church and the gospel. We are not surprised by this. They are enraged at Him. They are angry that the Lord would impose upon them His will. That is their reaction.
There is a fourth event here that takes place in Revelation 11:19 and it deals with the temple, “And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm.” This is unique. We have sort of the opening of heaven for a moment possibly allowing the enraged people to be able to see the ark of His covenant. In the Old Testament the ark of the covenant was the sign of His presence, the Lord’s presence. His Shekinah Glory would hover in and about the ark of the covenant. It was a place of His presence. Perhaps two indications here in this verse:
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The Lord is not backing down to the rage of the world. He is stepping up. He will rule and He will reign, and He will be among them and in their very presence. For a believer this is a very comforting thing. No matter how the world reacts and is enraged against God, His presence and holiness are there.
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Secondly, we are also given another picture of flashes of lightening, sounds, an earthquake, and a great hailstorm. This type of rhetoric has happened, is happening here, and will happen again several more times in the book of Revelation. For example, in Revelation 8:5, we find it says, “Then the angel took the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar, and threw it to the earth; and there followed peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake.” That is connected back with the earlier Trumpet Judgments. We find this also happening in Revelation 11:19 above. In Revelation 16:18 at the Bowl Judgments that are yet to come it says, “And there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder; and there was a great earthquake.” These are always signs of great judgment that God is bringing on the earth. They accompany these different judgments like the bowls and the seals and the trumpets. We have these powerful pictures that the Lord is in control. He is catching their attention . . .
We have been looking at the two witnesses. Remember in Revelation 9 we had the sixth Trumpet Judgment sounded. Then the action kind of stops and the timeline doesn’t move forward throughout Revelation 10:1-11:14. These next events take place somewhere in that period of time, but we don’t know exactly when necessarily. We do believe they occur in the first half of the Tribulation. We come to Revelation 11:14 that says, “The second woe is past; behold, the third woe is coming quickly.” The first woe was the fifth Trumpet Judgment. The second woe was the sixth Trumpet Judgment and now the final woe is the seventh Trumpet Judgment. He is calling them woes because of the devastation and the importance of these judgments.
Now, the chronology picks up and we are going back to where we were. I think our best understanding is that the midpoint of the Tribulation has now taken place at this point. With the sounding of the seventh Trumpet Judgment, we are now entering into the second half of the Tribulation, sometimes called the Great Tribulation. The antichrist has killed his antagonists – the two witnesses. He now has free reign over the earth and things are getting more intense and more difficult and uglier as time progresses.
We pick up in Revelation 11:15, “Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying.” So, as this Trumpet Judgment is sounded, there are four events that are going to be described for us that take place at that time.
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The reign of God, or Christ, begins. It says, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.” Now, we know that our Lord is sovereign. He has always ruled, but over the history of humanity going back to the fall of Adam and Eve, the Lord has allowed Satan to be the god of this age. He has allowed humanity to have certain reign and privileges and has allowed them to sin basically whenever they want. The Lord is going to bring that to a close here. Remember in the Lord’s Prayer we pray, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven?” They were witnessing the finalization of that prayer in a very real sense. The Lord’s kingdom is coming. We know that according to the book of Revelation there are some very significant events to come, but we are getting very close to the end here and we find that the angels in heaven are rejoicing over the reign of Christ.
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The second event is the reaction of heaven to this.
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Revelation 11:16, “And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God.” We find the twenty-four elders fall on their faces, as they seem to do often, and worship God. They worship God for at least two different reasons here.
a. First, for His sovereignty as Revelation 11:17 says, “We give you thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign.” They’re praising God and worshiping God because of His sovereign power in which now He is stepping up to begin to reign over the earth. So, they are excited about that. They are worshiping God for that.
b. Secondly, they worship Him because He is the Great Judge. The eternal and perfect judge. Revelation 11:18 says, “And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.” Notice they worship God because He is the perfect judge . . .
We’ve been talking about the two witnesses. It’s a very unique situation in Scripture and given fourteen verses in the book of Revelation. We have determined that we are not exactly sure who they are. We do know they were sent by God to witness. I believe they are not only witnessing of the power of God and prophesying concerning things like that, but they are also talking to the world about the gospel of Christ. If that is correct, many people have come to Christ because of their witnessing for the first three and a half years of the Tribulation Period. We also found that in Revelation 11:7-10, the antichrist is finally able to overcome them and kill them and the world rejoices. The world is absolutely thrilled at their death.
That changes in Revelation 11:11 where we pick up, “But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and great fear fell upon those who were watching them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” Then they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies watched them.” Let’s start with Revelation 11:11 – God has allowed the world to mock and rejoice over the death of His two witnesses for three and a half days. They have been on the earth for three and a half years prophesying and witnessing. They are left to be corpses on the ground in Jerusalem. They are probably right outside of the temple for three and a half days. Then the Lord raises them from the dead. Keep in mind now with the modern technology that we have today, the whole world could be clued in at the same moment. On television and internet or however, the whole world is watching this. Suddenly, these people who have been dead for over three days come to life. That doesn’t happen! Sometimes you hear of people claiming they have died and come back to life after a few moments, but three and a half days of laying on the ground and witnessed by the whole world and then suddenly they come back to life is quite amazing. When that happens, we hear the Lord saying, “Come up here.” The Lord is calling them to himself and when He does that they are not only resurrected from the dead, but they go back up into the heavens to be with the Lord. It says that their enemies are watching them. So, it is not just their friends, people who might fudge on the witnessing of what they saw, but the world also sees this. Their enemies see them come back to life and watch them as they are taken into heaven . . .
We are looking at the two witnesses that just kind of pop up out of nowhere in the middle of the book of Revelation. We are not exactly sure when they come on the scene chronologically. Most likely, I believe, they come on the scene at the very first of the Tribulation Period and they continue to about the midpoint. We saw last time that the scriptures don’t tell us who they are. We can make educated guesses, but there is no certainty. We find that they are invincible for three and a half years in Revelation 11:5.
Starting in Revelation 11:6, “These have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying; and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire.” Their power is immense. Very similar abilities to Elijah and Moses in the Old Testament which is why some people believe that is who they are, but we cannot prove that. Knowing who they are is not an important piece of the puzzle. What we do want to know is: what are they doing? We get a clue from the fact that they are witnesses. They are witnessing to something. Obviously, they are witnesses of the Lord. In some capacity then, they are witnessing to the Lord Himself. To His glory. It’s very possible, and I tend to lean this direction, that what these men are doing is not only pointing to the Lord and witnessing of the power and the glory of the Lord, but they are also evangelizing and telling people of the gospel. Recall, when the church is raptured from the earth, all believers are gone for a time. There will be no Christians, no believers, on the earth after the rapture of the church. So, they need to have a witness. The people that are left on the earth need to have a witness for them to come to Christ. Where do those witnesses come from? Well, I believe most likely it is these two witnesses that do exactly that. They come forth and they proclaim the truth of the gospel, and they point people to the Lord Jesus and many people start getting saved. Remember in Revelation 7, we have one hundred forty-four thousand Jews that are followers of the Lord and a great multitude of Gentiles. Where did they come from? If faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God, someone had to proclaim to them the gospel. I believe that it is very likely that these two witnesses are sent for that particular purpose. Not just to frighten the world and demonstrate God’s power and bring about great miracles, but to point to Christ and then many people come to Christ resulting from their witness. I believe that is probably the case. So, we have three and a half years where these men are doing exactly that, and no one can touch them or harm them in any way.
We are now in Revelation 11. Starting in Revelation 10 there is sort of a parenthesis (where chronological movement is not taking place) that goes through Revelation 11:14 in the chronological outworking of the book. We have seen the outpouring of the seven Seal Judgments and then the Trumpet Judgments. Then we have a parenthesis between the sixth and the seventh Trumpet Judgment at this point in Revelation 10 where we saw a book, a scroll, that was given to John that contains the seven Thunder Judgments of which he was not allowed to reveal the content.
Then we come to Revelation 11. We are still in this parenthesis. We really don’t know exactly when these things take place. We are being told that other things are happening outside of these judgments. One of those has to do with the two witnesses in Revelation 11. It’s a very interesting section.
Let’s pick it up in Revelation 11:1, “Then there was given me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, “Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it. Leave out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months.” First, we have of the temple. That tells us the temple has been built. We know the temple is not built today. There is no Jewish temple. We know also from 2 Thessalonians that there will be a temple in the Tribulation Period because the antichrist will set himself up as being God in the temple desiring worship. Therefore, sometime between now and the Tribulation Period, or at least the midpoint of the Tribulation Period, there is a temple that is being built or has been built. We have that temple being measured here showing that this is God’s temple and God’s worshipers. The temple court, however, has been given over to the Gentiles with the idea that the Gentiles will trample it under foot for three and a half years or forty-two months.
As we go to Revelation 11:3, we see these witnesses. Something has taken place here and it says, “And I will grant authority to my two witnesses and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” We find these two witnesses showing up. We don’t know where they come from or where they have been, but suddenly they are here. They are dressed in sackcloth. Sackcloth is usually a sign of mourning over sin. So, they are bringing prophecies or judgments against the world because of their sinfulness and that’s why they are dressed this way. They minister for the exact same period of time that we saw just a moment ago where the outer court is being trampled under foot by the Gentiles - three and a half years.
We had seen the sounding of the sixth judgment last time. We have this magnificent, powerful angel show up and he has already done a few things. One thing we saw in Revelation 10:2 was that he had in his hand a book. So, we know that book is there, but we haven’t heard much about what is in the book.
That gets picked up in Revelation 10:8 and he says, “Then the voice which I heard from heaven, I heard again speaking with me and saying, ‘Go, take the book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land.’” Now he is instructed to go and get that book from this angel. So he does. “So I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little book. And he said to me, “Take it and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.” I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter.” Did he actually eat the book? Was it symbolic or physical? I believe it is symbolic, but I don’t think we need to get too concerned about that. It is not totally unusual for this to happen. This harkens back to the book of Ezekiel. Let’s look at Ezekiel 2:8 where he had a similar command given to him, “Now you, son of man, listen to what I am speaking to you; do not be rebellious like that rebellious house. Open your mouth and eat what I am giving you.” So, he wants him to eat something. Then down to Ezekiel 3:1 it says, “Then He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel. So I opened my mouth and He fed me this scroll. He said to me, “Son of man, feed your stomach and fill your body with this scroll which I am giving you.” Then I ate it, and it was sweet as honey in my mouth.” As you can see, we have a very similar picture here. Again, whether Ezekiel is having a vision and if it was symbolic of something we are not one hundred percent sure. We do know what it is about: by eating this scroll, he is now going to be able to proclaim the very words of God. That is the symbolism behind this. Ezekiel is going to go forth and proclaim the words of God. These are not Ezekiel’s words. He is a prophet, and he is preaching the words of God and he has eaten this scroll. It says here that it was, “sweet as honey in my mouth,” and we saw the bitterness of the scroll in Revelation. Go to Ezekiel 3:6 right in the middle it says, “But I have sent you to them who should listen to you.” The verse is saying, I am going to send you with My Word. You have eaten that scroll, you have eaten the book, you have My Word so I am going to send you out and they should listen to you. He is talking about Israel. That they should listen. Looking at Ezekiel 3:7 he says, “yet the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, since they are not willing to listen to Me.” He warns his prophet as he goes forth that as he preaches the very words of God that has been given to him, even in this symbolism having been fed to him, he is going to go out and preach and Israel will not be willing to listen to him. Israel should listen. Israel are the chosen people of God. They have had the law, they have had the prophets, they have had all sorts of benefits as the people of God, but they are in exile, most of them at this time, due to their rebelliousness, and they are still rebelling against the word of God. So, when the word of God goes forth from Ezekiel, they’re being told here that they ought to listen to him. The prophecy that had been given before had been fulfilled. The word of God has been true to them, and they should listen, but He says they will not listen to you because they are in rebellion . . .
Today we are looking at Revelation 10. The sixth trumpet judgment had been sounded in Revelation 9. Before we get to the seventh Trumpet Judgment in Revelation 11, we have another kind of an interlude.
In Revelation 10:1 it says, “I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud; and the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire.” This is a powerful, powerful angel that we are seeing here. Revelation 10:2 says, “and he had in his hand a little book which was open. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the land.” This angelic being is so large that he is straddling between the sea and the land, and he has this book in his hand, but we are not told anything about that book yet.
Then in Revelation 10:3 he says, “and he cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars; and when he had cried out, the seven peals of thunder uttered their voices. When the seven peals of thunder had spoken, I was about to write; and I heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken and do not write them.’” Often, we kind of skip over this. There is not much here so it is easy to miss. However, according to this verse there is another set of judgments. Seven more judgments coming from God. We have had the Seal Judgments, the Trumpet Judgments, and we have the bowl judgments to come. There is another set of seven judgments called the peals of thunder. We don’t know what those are. For whatever reason, as John began to write down the details of these judgments, he was told not to write these things down, but to seal them up and not disclose the information about them. To guess is not wise, because God apparently doesn’t want us to know what they are. We know they are judgments. Were they more intense than the previous ones or the ones to come? We don’t know that. Whatever they are, I’m sure they are very destructive and very awful, but we are not told exactly what they are.
Then in Revelation 10:5 it says, “Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever and ever who created heaven and the things in it, and the earth and the things in it, and the sea and the things in it that there will be delay no longer.” Now the angel who John has been seeing here, moves on and he is making a declaration in the name of God. He is saying there will no longer be any delay. We take this to mean that we are coming toward the end of this judgment period, the tribulation. There is more to come, but we are rushing to the end now and moving to the latter days. He says there will be no more delay. He is doing this all in the name of the Lord.
Then he says in Revelation 10:7, “but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His servants the prophets.” He says there is a message coming. It is a mystery of God. A mystery is a secret of God that has not been revealed yet. When those mysteries have been revealed they are no longer mysteries they are revelations. There is a mystery here. The mystery of God being the plan of God including the unfolding of these judgments, the tribulation and the much more positive events that will follow the tribulation. This mystery is now being finished up and we are coming to the end of it. So, we have this angel here who is giving this message to John. John is now being told about these Thunder Judgments and is not able to give those to us. He is hearing, that in the name of God Himself, we are coming very close to the end of the judgments that are coming . . .
Today we look at the reaction of humanity after these six plagues. Before we look at that though, I thought we would look back at Revelation 3:20 and the Lord’s great invitation that He gives to His church, and in general to all people at the end of the messages that the Lord brought to the seven churches of Asia. He says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Here is a great invitation, and perhaps this is speaking mainly to churches, but within those churches are people that do not know Christ as we see at the church of Laodicea. We have an invitation from the Lord that if you will come to Him, that He will receive you and you will have great fellowship with Him. So, His message has gone forth and He gives this great invitation. And He says, “He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne,” This is an invitation, I believe, also of salvation itself. So, as we go back into our passage of Scripture here in Revelation 9, the Trumpet Judgments have been sounded, six of them now. Before that, remember, there was the seven Seal Judgments. There has been unbelievable devastation and judgment that has come upon the earth because of those who rejected Christ. That is our context.
We come to Revelation 9:20 and now is the time that the Lord determined to show us how people are responding to these judgments and His message and His invitation. It says, “The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons.” Here is the big picture: they did not repent. Here they are going through all this judgment and destruction, and they know all of this is from God. Earlier they talked about hiding from the wrath of the Lamb, so they know this is coming directly from God and yet they refuse to repent. They do not want to turn from their sins, and they do not want to come and follow the Lord. No matter how much pain and misery and destruction they have faced directly from the hand of God, they are not going to turn from their sins and turn to Him.
Instead, we find here that they want to worship demons, “and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk.” They want to worship gods of their own imagination, gods of their own creation and even the demonic beings that are in existence that certainly are not gods. They worship those things, and they love to worship those things because these things fit how they want to live their lives. He closes by saying, “and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts.” Why is it that these individuals do not want to turn from their sin and follow the Lord? Judgment is coming from Him as the Lord promised. Yet they refuse to repent. Why is that? It says in Revelation 9:20 they are worshiping other gods or idols, whether those be demonic creatures that literally exist, or idols such as wood and straw, or worshiping idols of their own hearts and imaginations. Why do they want to worship those things rather than worship the true God of the universe? Revelation 9:21 tells us why saying, “and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts.” In other words, they love their lifestyle. They love the way they live. They love the corrupted, polluted way of living life. They have created gods or worshiped gods that would fit their own lifestyle and how they want to live life and those gods fit right in . . .
We have just finished up the fifth Trumpet Judgment in Revelation 9. We saw that in this judgment, the bottomless pit has been opened, what appears to be demonic creatures have come forth out of that pit, and they have gone forth to do great damage to the people on the earth that have rejected Christ. Those who know Christ and are followers of Christ have been sealed and protected from this judgment. Those who do not know Christ are suffering and they are not dying. We find in the passage that the demons that go forth are not killing people, but they are bringing great misery and pain into their lives. We find at the end of that section in Revelation 9:11 the king of this hoard of demonic creatures from the abyss is none other than Satan. He is called Abaddon and Apollyon there, but we are almost certain that this is the devil that is the king of these demonic creatures. This was the first woe according to what was being told to John. There are two more to come. In other words, there are two powerful, ugly, awful judgments still coming in the form of these Trumpet Judgments.
We pick up the scene in Revelation 9:13 with the sixth Trumpet Judgment, “Then the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, one saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” And the four angels who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released, so that they would kill a third of mankind.” As this sixth trumpet judgment is sounded, we have the release of these four powerful, demonic angels, from the river Euphrates area. These angels have been bound there for this time. They had been prepared by God, for just this moment and now they have been released upon humanity. We find that they go forth and they kill a third of mankind.
Under the first Trumpet Judgment, a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. With the second judgment, we saw a third of the sea became blood, and a third of the creatures which were in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. The third judgment we saw the rivers and springs of water became bitter and killed those that drank from it. The fourth judgment we saw darkening where a third of the stars and moon and the sun are darkened. We had this intense darkness that was facing the earth. The fifth judgment, we had the release of these locust-like demonic creatures. Now with the sixth judgment we find that a third of humanity is killed. Under the circumstances of the five previous judgments, some may have died, but now we have a third of humanity that have died with this sixth judgment. If that happened today, upwards of two-and-a-half billion people would die under this judgment alone. However, it is not the angels directly who cause this great destruction and death . . .
Last time we looked at the sounding of the fifth Trumpet Judgment. We saw these creatures, these locust-like creatures, that we are almost certain are demonic creatures who have come out of the bottomless pit, or the abyss. As they come forth, they come forth to bring great suffering and pain on the humanity that has rejected the Lord Jesus. We are given a very interesting description starting in Revelation 9:7 that we are going to look at today.
Revelation 9:7 says, “The appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle; and on their heads appeared to be crowns like gold, and their faces were like faces of men.” Look at these descriptions. Obviously, this is not your normal insect or normal anything, really. We see similar creature descriptions in Ezekiel. Also in Isaiah, we see creatures that have very unusual descriptions with similar faces that are seraphim and cherubim. So, we have some understanding of these types of descriptions, but this is so unique. These locusts are just described in unbelievable ways.
We are picking up on a lot of symbolism that we must understand as best we can but not push to far. So, we find they have crowns on their heads like gold. This symbolism indicates that there is some royalty, power, and authority with these creatures. What they rule over I don’t know, but they have some appearance of royalty. Their faces are like faces of men. It is also a possibility that these locustlike creatures from the bottomless pit could take on forms of people and rulers and then begin to rule the earth along with the antichrist.
Revelation 9:8 says, “They had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like the teeth of lions.” A very interesting description again. Hair of women would be a softness of women. The beauty of a woman’s hair perhaps. On the other hand, they have teeth like a lion. This is depicting the fact that they are destructive. They destroy whatever is in their path.
Revelation 9:9 continues, “They had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle.” Looking more closely at these amazing descriptions, we can’t quite put together exactly what these creatures are like. Notice the word like in these descriptions. They are described as like this or like that. He is not saying they ARE exactly these things. Remember that John is describing the indescribable. As he makes his best attempt to describe these creatures, we have a picture that tells us these are incredibly powerful, vicious, mean-spirited beings. We know for sure that they are demonic in nature. They have these breastplates of iron which gives them protection. Their wings sound like chariots. So, we see battle going on when it says many horses rushing to battle. These creatures have come to do damage in the form of battle perhaps . . .
We will pick up where we left off in the last section. We are in the midst of the Trumpet Judgments in the book of Revelation. Four of those judgments had been sounded at the very end of Revelation 8. The eagle pronounces three woes concerning the next judgments that are coming. So, these next three judgments are going to be even more intense than the ones prior to that.
We pick up on the fifth judgment. It is very different than what we have seen so far. Let’s follow this in Revelation 9:1: “Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him.” First, the star here is probably an angel of some sort. It could be a demonic angel, it could be Satan himself, or it could be a good angel. We are not told, but it is not a star as we think of a physical star. He comes from heaven, and he has the key to the bottomless pit. The bottomless pit is called the abyss in Revelation 20. As we make connections throughout the gospels and the book of Revelation, we see this abyss is basically a holding tank for demonic creatures. This abyss is where Satan is going to be thrown at the end of the Tribulation period for one thousand years. So, this is a place where the demonic creatures live or have been imprisoned. It’s a mystery to some degree, we don’t know all the details. So, the bottomless pit here is talking about the abyss.
In Revelation 9:2 we see the angel open the bottomless pit, “He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit.” It’s like darkness, like smoke it says here. It comes out and darkens. That’s not really the important part, it’s the prelude to Revelation 9:3.
Revelation 9:3 says, “Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power.” We now have what is called locusts. Questions that bible teachers and scholars must examine are: What kind of locusts are these? Are these your typical little insects that we know as locusts or are they something else? In answer, coming out of the bottomless pit and with the descriptions we will be given as we continue to read further, we are almost certain these are not insects. These are demonic creatures of some sort that have come forth that have the appearance, to some degree, of a locust. As we look at that closer later, we are going to find that this is no ordinary looking locust, and they don’t do ordinary locust like things. They are very, very different. Our best understanding is that these are demonic creatures that are released upon the earth at this time. It is a very ugly scene as we look at it.
Revelation 9:4 continues, “They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.” Notice here that they are not doing locust like things. They are not eating vegetation. That’s what locusts do. They eat vegetation. They are destructive creatures. These don’t do that, instead they are going to torment people directly. They are going to cause pain for people, not on vegetation. The ones that are exempt from that are those who have been sealed by God. We find the sealed ones in Revelation 7. They are the one hundred forty-four thousand and the great multitude that the Lord is protecting. They are not going to go through this. They are going to be exempt from the power of these demonic creatures and their torments . . .
We left off with the Trumpet Judgments being ready to be sounded with Revelation 8:6 saying, “And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them.” So, they are now ready to do that.
Look at Revelation 8:7, “The first sounded, and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.” We are going to catch this theme of a third going through these trumpet judgments - where a third of things are destroyed as a result of these particular judgments. The first one is on the earth itself. We find that the earth itself has a third of its trees and vegetation burned up. Corruption of sin is the responsibility of human beings when Adam and Eve failed, and they sinned in the garden. Therefore, we now have the corruption that is not only on humanity but on all of creation, and creation groans as a result. Now, we see here that the creation itself is caught up in the collateral damage that is going on as God brings judgment on the earth. So, a third of these things are burnt up.
In Revelation 8:8 we read, “The second angel sounded, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea; and a third of the sea became blood, and a third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life, died; and a third of the ships were destroyed.” We now judgment on the oceans themselves. Further, we have not only the oceans affected, but all the things in the ocean so that a third of them died. Could you imagine the pollution and the stench and the awfulness of having a third of the creatures in the sea die?
In Revelation 8:10 it says, “The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters.” The fresh water supply is being affected by this third judgment.
In Revelation 8:11 we read, “The name of the star is called Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter.” Wormwood means bitterness. We find that it is not simply a bitterness of taste here, but a bitterness of pollution so that whoever drinks of these waters that had been judged will die. As a result, we find people dying from drinking of these polluted waters.
In Revelation 8:12 it says, “The fourth angel sounded, and a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were struck, so that a third of them would be darkened and the day would not shine for a third of it, and the night in the same way.” Now we have the atmosphere of the stars, the sun, and the moon being affected. The effect here is the darkening of these things. Exactly what that looks like or how it takes place we are not told, but there is a diminishing of light at this time. Whether it is a timetable, like a third of the day is dark like an eclipse or whether it is simply a diminishing of the light of the sun and moon and so forth, we are not really told. What we know is that there is a diminishment of some extent. A third of this light is turned to darkness during this time. We all know what it’s like to live in a perpetual haze or dark period here in Illinois. We experience quite a bit of that in the wintertime especially, and it’s depressing and it’s difficult to live with. This would be far more intense than that is. People live in this utter darkness. We think back to the plagues in Egypt. Some of these plagues are kind of similar and kind of overlapping. One of the plagues there was darkness. Darkness there that just overwhelmed. That’s probably what’s going on here as well . . .
Here is a quick recap of what we have studied so far. In Revelation 6, the Lamb, Jesus Christ, begins to open the seals on the seal judgments. We find in Revelation 5 that no on else was worthy to open these seals and reveal these judgments that the Lord is going to bring on those who rejected Him on earth. So, the Lamb steps up and takes the scroll and opens the seals and we find a number of judgements poured out on the earth that are called Seal Judgments. The Lord opened six of those seals. Before He opens the seventh seal, we have an interlude in Revelation 7 where we saw scenes of heaven and scenes of sealing certain individuals who are followers of the Lord in the Tribulation period. Those followers were protected from the judgments and from the ruthlessness of those who reject Christ. We have the one hundred forty-four thousand, and a great multitude of Gentiles who are sealed in that way and then we find that these martyrs, many of these people that have died a martyr’s death during the Tribulation period, are now in heaven and are calling for the judgment upon those who have killed them.
When we open to Revelation 8, we move to the seventh seal and it says, “When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.” We have been having a noisy scene so far starting from Revelation 4 all the way through Revelation 7. We have a lot of action with angels that are worshiping God, voices of people, the four living creatures and so forth. This has been a rather noisy scene so far and the judgments were poured out with a lot of noise as well. We come to Revelation 8 and this final seal, and everything is quite for half of an hour which tells us that we are looking at a very serious and somber situation here. What we have is the fact that this is going to get worse. The Trumpet Judgments cover a lot of the same territory as the seal judgments do, but at the same time, they are more intense, and so it is going to get worse as we move on.
So, there is a quietness even in heaven at that point. Then he says in Revelation 8:2, “And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.” So, now the angels have the Trumpet Judgments, and they are about to sound those judgments, but before that happens it says in Revelation 8:3, “Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel’s hand.” Remember in Revelation 5:8 we have a picture there of the incense going up to God as an act of worship. That goes back to the time in the Old Testament when incense was used as part of worship. So, we have a beautiful picture that our prayers matter to God and they are perpetually a worship experience before God. Now, we have added to that with incense coming from the angels. So both, the praise of the angels and the prayers and praise of the saints are now going up before the Lord. So, we have a great worship scene here before the trumpets are sounded . . .
During this interlude, we are seeing scenes in heaven and what is going there. Here we find the Lord has sealed a number of followers who are living in the Tribulation Period. One hundred forty-four thousand Jews and then a great multitude of Gentiles of every nation and tribe. We find in Revelation 7:10-11 as we are reviewing here that the creatures in heaven fall down and worship the Lord and the Lamb at this time. They are worshiping as these things are going on.
Now, we see starting with Revelation 7:12, the content of the worship. Here is what they are saying, “Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.” So, they are glorifying the Lord for His wisdom, His strength, and just for the very nature of who He is. So, this is a beautiful worship service. A beautiful time of praise. Then we go on to Revelation 7:13, “Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?” Why the elder asked John that, I don’t know and neither does John because John comes back in Revelation 7:13 and says to him, “I said to him, “My lord, you know.” Basically, John says, I don’t know who these people are, they’re clothed in white robes. Of course, we know from Revelation 2, 3 & 19, that those clothed in white robes are those who are followers of the Lord, those who are believers, those who have been rewarded. So, we know that, but at this point, John does not. So, he asked this elder who they are, and we continue with Revelation 7:14, “And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” So, who are these people? These are not believers from the past, not from the Old Testament era, not even from the church age, these are people who have followed the Lord, who have come out of the Tribulation period. Notice, “they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of Lamb.” So, these are believers who have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. In Revelation 7:15 he goes on and says, “For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them.” They have the great privilege now of serving the Lord with Him day and night. In Revelation 7:16 it says, “They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat; for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.” So, these are individuals who apparently have died for the cause of Christ. They are individuals who have been saved by the blood of the Lamb. They are worshipers of God. They are followers of Him . . .
We are looking at Revelation 7. We already saw in Revelation 6 the first six judgments known as the Seven Seal Judgments. The seventh seal is coming, but it does not come until Revelation 8. Revelation 7 is an interlude. It does not progress chronologically. We saw in Revelation 6 the scenes on earth. We see the judgments that are coming on the earth. Revelation 7 takes us to heaven, and we see what’s going on in heaven at the very time that the seals are being broken on earth. However, we won’t get to the seventh seal until Revelation 8.
Let’s take a look at some of the events going on in here. In Revelation 7:1 it says, “After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads.” This angel is instructing this other angel that the seventh seal should not yet be opened, but instead hold back because something must be done before we open that seventh seal. By the way, the seventh seal will open the other judgments that are found in the book of Revelation that take us all the way up to Revelation 19. So, there is a lot of content in that final seal. So, before he breaks that seal and we see what that content is, he tells these angels to hold back.
Then in Revelation 7:4, he said, “And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel,” and then he goes on to tick off 12,000 from each of the tribes, and that takes us all the way through Revelation 7:8. What that tells us is that God has not forgotten Israel. In many ways, the book of Revelation is focused on Israel. It talks in the Old Testament about the troubles of Jacob, and this is that time. This is a time prophesied as part of the day of the Lord in much of the Old Testament and in several of the prophetic books in particular. So, Israel is still in focus. God has a plan for Israel, so much so, that He identifies 12,000 Jewish people from each of the tribes as He mentions here 144,000. So, we know that these 144,000 are sealed in such a way that no harm can come to them until God allows for that. Of course, probably more people know about the 144,000 people from the Jehovah’s Witnesses who claim that they are the 144,000. Of course, nothing in Scripture teaches any such things. These are not Jehovah’s Witnesses or even Gentiles. These are Jewish people that the Lord is protecting from the harm that is going to befall coming with the next seal in Revelation 8.
In Revelation 7:9 it says, “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands.” So, now we move on to know that not only are Jews being protected from the judgments to come and from the power of the antichrist, but so are the Gentiles. It is a great multitude of people from every tribe, every tongue, every ethnicity, and the Lord is protecting them. These are going to be people that are followers of the Lord. These are not random Gentiles. These are people who have followed Jesus Christ during the time of the Tribulation . . .
We are going to finish Chapter 6 and the sixth seal that God gives us as the Son has taken this scroll from the hand of the Father in Chapter 5. Only He is worthy to break the seals and to reveal the content. The content is the judgment that God is bringing on the earth during what we call the Tribulation Period. This is the greatest judgment the world has ever see. Chapters 6-19 is going to deal with that.
We are going to look at the sixth seal. The sixth seal says in Revelation 6:12, “I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood.” Notice the term like. It doesn’t mean the moon became blood, but it had the appearance of blood. It looked like blood. Notice also that the four living creatures are not involved here. The first four seals that were broken, each of them was announced by the living creatures who told John to, “Come.” Then in the last one, we had the martyrs underneath the altar. In this one we have an earthquake that sounds the alarm that He is coming, and horrible things are taking place in the atmosphere.
It says in Revelation 6:13, “and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind.” Most likely, this is a meteorite shower. The word stars here doesn’t necessarily mean stars as we think of them but as meteorites. So, the earth very likely is bombarded with a meteorite shower that could cause untold damage.
In Revelation 6:14 it says, “The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.” So, we have atmospheric issues. The sky being split apart. We have the mountains and the seas, and the islands being moved. This is just a total disruption of the world and the atmosphere. The sky being split open might lead to something we will see in just a moment, and that is some sort of a glimpse or appearance, that the world can see of God Himself. Not that they can see God, but they recognize something here. I want you to keep that in mind as we press on.
Revelation 6:15 continues, “Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains.” Notice their response. The people on earth, apparently all kinds of people as he mentions all types of people. What did they do when these things took place? When the sky has opened and they begin to see something here, we find they hide themselves. They do not repent, and we will see that refrain several times as we continue our study in the book of Revelation. They don’t repent, they don’t worship God, they don’t turn to Him, but instead they hide themselves from Him.
Let’s pick that up in the Revelation 6:16, “and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hid us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.” They want to hide now from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, that would be the Father. They also want to hide from the wrath of the Lamb. It’s very possible that when it talks about the sky being split here that what is taking place is that the Lord is giving them some sort of a glimpse of His throne room and the essence and glory of Himself. When they see that they don’t want anything to do with it and they want to hide from it. On top of that, they also want to hide from the wrath of the Lamb. Who ever heard of anybody hiding from a lamb? And yet, we have the wrath of the Lamb coming at this time, and they know who the Lamb is, that’s Jesus Christ, who we saw back in Chapter 5, who died for our sins and who the beings in Heaven worship. Here the people on earth hide from Him, and they are afraid of Him, but they do not repent from their sin . . .
We are looking at two more seals starting in Revelation 6:7 with the fourth seal which is death.
It says, “When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come.” I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.” This is an awful judgment. We find that once again one of the living creatures, the fourth of the four living creatures, call for John to look or to come up here. This is the last time the four creatures will do this. We will see in a moment that the other three seals are opened in a different manner. This one is death. What we find are people dying in great waves. As a matter of fact, it says one-fourth of the people on the earth die during this time. If we put that in the numbers that we have on the earth now, this would be closing in on 2 billion people that would die at the same time. Could you imagine the devastation of 2 billion people on this planet dying? Our world has been rocked by the SARS-CoV-2 virus in this last year in which hundreds of thousands maybe in the low millions have died. Now imagine the deaths of 2 billion people. That would just be absolutely devastating. Of course, in ancient times it wasn’t all that unusual for plagues, such as the black plague, to go through and a third to a half of the population of a given area would die. So, these types of things happened. But never worldwide where the whole planet had so many people die. It also says, “Hades was following with him,” with the idea then that if death speaks of physical death, Hades is speaking of spiritual death. We find later in Chapter 20 that both death and Hades are thrown into the lake of fire. So that would be the distinction, apparently in this case, the spiritual death that follows the physical death. These people that are dying during this time are people that do not know Christ, and therefore they will face not only the physical death that all human beings face, but they will face eternal spiritual death in Hades. It’s an awful picture of what follows.
That leads us to another seal. The fifth seal which is very, very different. It says, “When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained.” Let’s stop there for a moment. Notice that the living creatures do not say anything at this point and our attention is taken from the earth and the devastation going on down on the earth to a scene in Heaven. There we find that these individuals, who are believers, under the altar of God. This is probably the incense altar, as we think of the Old Testament, the blood of the sacrifice was poured under the incense altar, and so we have the slain saints who have died during this time under the altar of God in Heaven. This is the picture we have here. Notice, they have died because of their testimony for Christ. When the rapture takes place, there are no believers left on the earth, but during the days that follow as we will see later on in Revelation 7-8, many multitudes of people come to Christ and they begin to follow Him, but in following Christ, there is a huge price to pay because they will be persecuted and they will be martyred and many, many thousands, perhaps even millions will pay the price of death for following the Lord Jesus Christ . . .
We continue in Chapter 6 looking at the second judgment.
I want to give you a little object lesson that might help you here. Remember the book that Jesus took from the Father that He is opening right now? It is not a book like how we normally think of books. It was a scroll, and a scroll is rolled up in a cylindrical tube fashion. This scroll has seven seals that kept it from being opened and read. Jesus would take and open the first seal of the top of the scroll and as He did so, it would reveal more and more of the content of the scroll. I think most likely, that this scroll had a seal on the outside and then as it was opened a little further it had another seal on the next level and unrolled further to another seal that needed to be opened in such a way until the scroll was opened and could be read in its entirety. So, that is what is going on here as Jesus opens the scrolls.
Last time we looked at the first seal being broken which I think was the antichrist stepping up to the world arena probably as a hero bringing peace to a world that is in chaos perhaps because the church has been raptured. Could you imagine millions upon millions of people being raptured and removed from the earth all at once? All the havoc and destruction that would go with that. So, someone steps up, someone needs to step up, and it seems to be the antichrist that steps up and gives leadership without any form of violence or war. That changes in the next verse with the next seal. It says, “When He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come.” And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him.” So now we have war. The antichrist apparently gives peace for a period of time. That peace is taken from the earth - perhaps because of his policies or perhaps because of some that don’t want him in charge of the world scene, or maybe it is something he does aggressively. We don’t necessarily know, but we do know this second seal is a war that breaks out. It appears to be a worldwide war. Almost certainly like nothing that we have ever seen before.
That leads to the third seal which is famine. In Revelation 6:5, “When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, “Come.” I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.” Now, following this war or during this war, we have famine breaking out. This is very common in ancient times and even today in many places. You have a war, lots of people are killed, the crops are destroyed, the food supply lines are eradicated, and the next thing you know, you have more people dying of famine and disease and so forth than you did at the war. So, we have a picture of that going on here. War was taking place. It was probably a devastating thing throughout the whole world, and the next thing you know you have runaway inflation and you have got famine. It says here for example, in Revelation 6:6, “A quart of wheat for a denarius.” A denarius during the first century was the wage for a normal worker for one day. So, he is receiving this denarius and normally, a denarius would buy about eight quarts of wheat. That would be enough perhaps to feed a family. But, we have here a denarius is able to buy only one quart of wheat. That is a very small amount of food, barely enough to keep one person alive. So, how are you going to feed your family as well as yourself on that little bit of ration? . . .
Today we pick up on the first seal judgment in Revelation 6:12. We find that Christ Jesus has taken from the hand of the Father a scroll in Revelation 5, and that scroll He is now getting ready to open and reveal to us the seven seals. As the seals are broken, they reveal to us the content of this scroll.
The first seal is in Revelation 6:1, “Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals,” we find the Lamb, Jesus Christ, breaking these seals, “and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, ‘Come.’” We recall the four living creatures from back in Revelation 4-5. Now one of those cries out with a very powerful voice and he says, “Come,” or come up here. It appears he is drawing John’s attention to what is going to happen here, and he calls him to come. And he says, “I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.” So, as the first seal is opened, what we find is someone riding a white horse and he has a crown and a bow, like a bow and arrow, and he is also going out conquering and to conquer. What we seem to have here is a picture of one that looks much like Jesus Christ Himself. As a matter of fact, in Revelation 19, we find that the Lord comes on a white horse. So, at first it seems like this is a picture of Christ coming Himself, but when we look at it closely, we find that is not the case. We find that in Revelation 19 the Lord conquers, but that is at the end of the Tribulation, at the end, seven years from this point in time in Revelation 6. This verse is at the very beginning of the Tribulation. So, if it is not Christ then who is it? We have a suspicion here by reading Revelation 6:2 that this is a picture not of Christ Himself, but of one who is imitating Christ. One that we normally call the antichrist. Antimeaning either in substitution for or against. He is always opposing the Lord, and always imitating the Lord. Further, 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 talks about what the antichrist will do when he comes which helps us to make a decision about who this is in this verse. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 says, “that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason, God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.” So, we have a picture here of the antichrist. As a matter of fact, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, is all about the coming of this one who is called a man of lawlessness here. The one who opposes Christ. The one who sets himself up in the temple as being God and wanting to be worshiped by God. He is empowered by God. His major weapon is not necessarily warfare or violence, it is deception. In 2 Thessalonians 2:10 it says, “with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish.” His major weapon is to deceive people. So, he comes on the scene, according to 2 Thessalonians, and he deceives those who do not know Christ, and they follow him. As a matter of fact, it appears, many worship him. So, he is a powerful deceiver . . .
Today we are going to explore together Revelation 6. We have already looked at Revelation 1-5 in brief, let’s do just a quick review. Remember Revelation 1:19 gives us the outline of the book of Revelation when it says, “Therefore, write the things which you have seen, and the things which are and the things which will take place after these things.” In Revelation 1 we have the “things which you have seen.” In Revelation 2-3 we have “the things that are” – in particular, the seven churches of Asia. Revelation 5-6 can be included in with the “things that are,” or maybe in the future, but they are kind of a transitional section of Scripture either way. We looked at Revelation 4-5 and saw this wonderful scene in heaven of the greatest worship service ever recorded. In Revelation 4 the focus was on the Father, and in Revelation 5 it was on the Lamb, Jesus Christ. We have the whole universe, in a sense, the whole heavens, and all the creatures in heaven glorifying and praising the Father and the Lamb.
That leads us into Revelation 6 which begins in what we call the Tribulation Period. This is the time of the greatest judgment that has ever come on the earth from God. God is going to come against all humanity that has rebelled against Him and has rejected Him and bring great judgments. So, Revelation 6-19 deals with that great subject. We are so happy, and it is so good to have the balance of Revelation 4-5 as those two chapters show us the love of God. The provision of God for our salvation. The worship of the Father and the Son in the heavenly realms. We have this glorious picture of God’s beauty, God’s sovereignty, God’s love and God’s provision. It is so good to have that before we jump into a section that is going to be about God’s wrath and God’s judgment. We need to have that balance in Scripture if we are going to have a right picture of God and how God operates.
We come to Revelation 6:1 that says, “Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals.” Remember in Revelation 5:7 there was a book, or a scroll, in the hand of the Father that the Lamb takes. It has seven seals on it and no one except Him is worthy to open those seals to reveal the content of that scroll. Now as we start Revelation 6, those seals are being broken, and as they are being broken by the Lamb, then the content of that scroll is revealed, and that content is going to be what we find in the remainder of the book of Revelation.
Let me mention that coming from that scroll are three sets of judgments. We have the Seven Seal Judgments that we will look at today in Revelation 6 and the final one is mentioned in Revelation 8. Then we have in, Revelation 8-9, the Seven Trumpet Judgments. In between the seal judgments and the trumpet judgments we have an interlude. A scene that God wants us to know about in Revelation 7. Then after Revelation 9, we have another very long interlude. These interludes are not necessarily in chronological order, so we want to be careful there, but they are scenes that God wants us to have. He wants us to know of some things that are taking place either in heaven or on earth, so He gives us these interludes. Then He picks back up in Revelation 16 with the final set of judgments known as the Seven Bowl Judgements. So, we have these judgments that will be coming along and as we look at these different judgments, we find that the Lord is now going to bring wrath upon the earth because of the sinfulness of humanity . . .
We left off in Revelation 5 with someone being found who was worthy to open the book that was in the right hand of the Father to open the seals. That would be the Son Himself described as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David in Revelation 5:5, and the Lamb who was slain for us and is living again in Revelation 5:6. He comes, and He takes the book out of the hand of the Father. Revelation 5:8 is where we begin this part two of the most magnificent worship service described in Scripture.
Revelation 5:8 says, “When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” So, immediately upon taking the scroll, we find that the creatures of heaven begin to worship the Son in this wonderful way. As they do so, it says they are each holding a harp. This is where we get the idea that when we go to heaven, we are carrying harps around forever. I think this is just a picture of what we are about to see, in a moment, which is a wonderful song service with some music. I think that is probably the application. There is no place in Scripture that talks about Christians dying and going to Heaven and having harps. So, I don’t think that’s the picture we are to take from this at all.
I really like the next section, “golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” What a beautiful picture to think that the prayers of the saints are reserved for God. They are incense it says, in some sense. Incense was part of the Old Testament worship in the tabernacle and in the temple. It played an important role. So, we have a picture of the prayers of the saints – saints being believers like you and I – and our prayers are so precious to God that they are kept, in a sense preserved, as worship to Him in the Throne Room. That is a precious and beautiful picture.
Then we have the song service in Revelation 5:9, and this is where the harps probably come in, “And they sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” Notice why they are singing this song of worship. Notice the content of this great song that these angelic beings, or these heavenly beings - whatever they are sing, “Worthy are You to take the book.” Only Christ was worthy to take the book out of the Father’s hands. Only He is worthy to break the seven seals. The reason He is worthy here is not because He is the Creator, that was in Revelation 4. He is worthy because He is the Redeemer, “for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” He is the Redeemer. He has died for our sins. He has purchased people for Himself by His blood, and for that reason He is worthy to be worshiped. And He has taken those people that He has redeemed, and He has made them into a kingdom, “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” So, we who have been redeemed by His blood have been formed into a kingdom, but it’s not an ordinary kingdom, it’s a kingdom of priests. A kingdom of people who worship and pray and that are part of the worship of God. On top of that, we will reign upon the earth. When we get to the end of the book of Revelation, we find that we will reign with Him forever and ever on the new heaven and on the new earth. All that is set up by what Christ has done . . .
We are in the Throne Room of Heaven in Revelation 4-5, and we have looked at the first part of one of the greatest worship services imaginable. A worship service by all the beings in heaven. The angels, the four living creatures, the twenty-four elders, everything in Heaven is worshiping God the Father for His eternality, His power, authority, and because He is the Creator of all things. Part two of that great worship service we pick up on in Revelation 5, and its more wrapped around the Son than the Father here.
In Revelation 5:1, it says, “I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals.” So, we see not a book like what we are used to seeing, but more like a scroll. “In the right hand of Him who sat on the throne,” that is the Father so, it is His book, and He is in charge of it. We have this scroll, and it is a very important scroll. As a matter of fact, it is the scroll that outlines the future of humanity and of the earth. The problem is that it is sealed up. There are seven seals on this which had to be opened for the scroll to be read. Somebody worthy of opening those seals had to be found as we will see in a moment. As we look at this section of Scripture, we are going to pick this scroll up again in Revelation 6 as it unfolds, and we read the message going forward of what’s going to happen. There are two different ways of looking at this scroll and its seals. These seals could be on the outside of the scroll. Seven of them, like wax seals, and each is opened independently before the scroll is unraveled all the way. That is a possibility, but the better picture is that these scrolls are progressive. There is one on the outside, when it’s broken, the scroll is opened up to give a certain amount of information. Then there is another seal inside that needs to be broken, and it is rolled out to give more information until all seven seals are broken and all the information given that we are going to find throughout the rest of the book of Revelation. That is probably the more accurate picture of what we have here.
It says in Revelation 5:2, “And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it. Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it.” So, a search, so to speak, is made of the universe to find someone worthy to open the seals. In ancient times when a king received or sent documents only those who were authorized and worthy could open those seals. So, that is the picture we have here. The problem is there is no one in the universe worthy. Not the four living creatures. Not the twenty-four elders. Not the angels. No one in all the universe was worthy and that made John very sad, and he began to weep because he realized no one could open that scroll and tell us what the message is.
But, in Revelation 5:5 that changes, “and one of the elders said to me, “Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.” We find One who is worthy and that One is called, “the Lion from the tribe of Judah and the Root of David.” Who is the One who is worthy? The obvious answer is Jesus Christ. He is worthy to open the seals . . .
We pick up where we left off. We are in the Throne Room of God in Revelation 4. We are looking at the various occupants of that Throne Room. The Father is there. We have seen Him. We have seen the twenty-four elders. We have now seen the four living creatures as well as the seven Spirits. So, we are looking at the four living creatures. We find the description of these beings as probably an angelic type being. They are very similar to cherubim in Ezekiel 1, and very similar to the seraphim in Isaiah 6. Perhaps it is one of those angelic groups or another group. They are never totally identified except for living creatures. We saw what they look like yesterday, which was very interesting.
Now we want to look at what they are doing, and that’s even more interesting. It says at the end of Revelation 4:8, “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY IS THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME.” This is a very similar worship rhetoric that was given in Isaiah 6. The only other place in all the Bible where we have what is called, the Thrice-holy worship of God is found in Isaiah 6 by the seraphim as Isaiah was in the Throne Room of God there in a vision. Right here - as John is either in a vision or in the spirit - we have the “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY.” In the writing of Scripture and in the oral languages and so forth, in order to emphasize something, you said it twice. Jesus often said, “truly, truly” or “verily, verily” to make a point. It was a way of saying, “Listen up, this is important!” It’s not normal to have three times of repetition. Only twice in all the Bible is the Lord called holy three times, and this is one of them. So, the emphasis is on His holiness. This is the very essence of God as being holy. He is also, it says, “almighty and who was and who is and who is to come.” He is eternal. He has always been here, and He always will be here, and He is here now. Therefore, He is being praised and glorified and worshiped for that reason. In Revelation 4:9, it says, “And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever.” So, the worship is of the Father, who is eternal, who lives forever and ever and that is their job. The job of these four living creatures, their task, is to worship God and to lead the universe in the worship of the Almighty God. The twenty-four elders join in at verse 10, “the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying.” These twenty-four elders, who may very well be the church or at least representatives of the church, could be angels. They could be a combination of both angels and people. I don’t know for sure. They could maybe be something totally different, like some kind of heavenly being that is a different grouping all together. We do know they are worshiping God here and they are joining the four living creatures in doing so. The next thing they do is they cast their crowns before the throne. The traditional views are that the twenty-four elders are representative of the church and the twenty-four elders are casting their crowns at the feet of the Lord. In the epistles we are told that there are five different crowns that we as believers are given for our service and faithfulness to the Lord and rewards of different kinds. It is believed that we will cast our crowns at the feet of Christ in worship. That comes out of this verse here. The idea being your crown is not for you to show off with or for people to look at you and say, “look at all your crowns,” but rather that whatever crowns are given to you are given back to Him in worship. That’s a beautiful picture and may very well be what is happening here . . .
We pick up today where we left off last time, in the Throne Room of God in the book of Revelation 4. Revelation 4:2 says that John has been taken in the spirit to the Throne Room of God. Remember that the word throne is found forty-five different times in the book of Revelation, so it is a prominent teaching and understanding. God is ruling and reigning from His throne, and we find here in Revelation 4-5 that He is worshiped there in this wonderful worship service.
We are looking at Revelation 4:3 where John has seen that there is, One on the throne, as he says, Revelation 4:2, “and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne.” Now, the One sitting on the throne as we will see is God the Father. When we look at Revelation 5, we will see that the person that is prominent there is God the Son, but that is later. Notice here that this is the Father on the throne. In Revelation 4:3 it says, “And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance.” Now as we look at these metaphors and these pictures, notice the terminologies of the word like. John is trying to describe the indescribable. How do you describe a beautiful sunset? How do you describe something that is just gorgeous in our own nature on earth? So, if you think of how difficult that is, think about trying to describe the glory and splendor of God and then you will understand the problem that John is dealing with. He is not saying that the Lord looks like a stone of any kind, but he is saying that the majesty and glory and the beauty of the Lord stands out. He is trying to describe that in some way. He says also, “and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance.” We’re not sure the purpose of that except that the predominant goto in the book of Genesis concerning Revelation – going all the way back to Noah’s Ark – and after Noah gets off the ark and God puts up a rainbow as a promise that He would not again flood the earth. So, a rainbow would represent His faithfulness to His own promise. So perhaps that is the purpose here of the rainbow as a reminder of God’s faithfulness to us.
In Revelation 4:4, “Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads.” So, now we are starting to see some other creatures in heaven. Of course, God is God, but everything else is created beings. We are looking at some of the most magnificent of these created beings as we work our way through Revelation 4. The first group we run into are twenty-four elders who sit on twenty-four thrones. Whoever this group is, they have some form of authority – they are on thrones. They are in the Throne Room of God. That is pretty high authority. They are also clothed in white garments and golden crowns are on their heads. This is a little bit difficult to know who this is. Perhaps a more traditional view is that this is the church because of the elders, and because in Revelation 19 we find that the church, as the bride of Christ, is clothed in white garments. Also, the Lord has given His people, according to the epistles, He gives rewards in the form of crowns. So, these twenty-four elders could represent the church, and they are dressed in this way and have these crowns. It is also possible it could be angels because we have pictures in scriptures of angels being dressed in white garments as well. We will have to leave that to look at a little later . . .
We are going to take an adventure into heaven this week with the apostle John in Revelation 4. We have already now looked at Revelation 1 which gives us a wonderful picture of Christ. Then we have gone through the messages in Revelation 2-3, written to the seven churches of Asia. Then we come to Revelation 4. Revelation 4-5 are sort of a transitional section of the book going from the churches to the Tribulation Period.
So, we begin Revelation 4 with these words, “After these things I looked.” This is interesting, in the book of Revelation, the phrase after these things is found twice here in this verse and then it is also found in Revelation 1, 7, 15, 18 and 19. It is kind of an opening to a new chapter – not in how we think of our chapters – but a different section of the book of Revelation each time. So, it shows us something is happening. Probably the most important of these uses of that terminology is in Revelation 1:19 where it says, “Therefore write the things that you have seen and the things that are and the things that will take place after these things.”
This is our table of contents of the book of Revelation. Three major sections:
- Revelation 1
The things which you have seen – He says write those down John. He has just seen these things in the magnificence and glory of Christ.
- Revelation 2-3
Then the things which are – would be the seven churches that He is writing to. There are local churches that existed at the time this book was being written. There are seven very different messages to those churches from Christ that we have looked at already.
- Revelation 4-22
Then it says, “and the things that will take place after these things,” and now we come to Revelation 4:1 and he says, “After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven.” So, I think he is referencing Revelation 1:19 and this third major section of the book that we are going to be looking at now for the rest of the time that we study the book of Revelation together.
So, after these things is going to be in reference to the future. The first question that comes to our minds though is after what things? Immediately we know its after these messages to the seven churches, but it is possible it goes further than that and many believe it does. You see, the messages to the seven churches take place to churches in the church age. So, is it possible then that after this church age, after the church is no more on earth, that something is going to happen? I think that is a real possibility. In other words, between Revelation 3 and 4 is the Rapture of the church. The church has been Raptured, taken to be with the Lord, as we find in 1 Thessalonians 4, and it is no more on earth. Another piece of information that helps us come to that conclusion is that the church is very dominant in Revelation 1-3 and then it is no more dominant at all. It is not mentioned at all again, in fact, until Revelation 19, when the Lord returns to the earth at the Second Coming with the church and then the church starts to play another role once again. So, it is very possible then that after the church age, after the church has been Raptured, then these things that he is going to talk about are going to take place. We wouldn’t want to build a dogmatic argument on that logic, but it does make a lot of sense . . .
Today we complete the messages to the seven churches of Asia found in the book of Revelation. We stopped last time right in the middle of the message to the church of Laodicea. This is a church that thought of themselves as a church in need of nothing. They were wealthy, they were rich, they were powerful, and they were probably the church that everybody wanted to be like. The Lord’s assessment of this church is not very good. He tells them, as we left off last time, that according to Revelation 3:17 they are: wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. And they did not know it! What a terrible situation to be in.
So, what are they going to do about that? He says in Revelation 3:18, “I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.” He is not telling us that we buy our salvation. That is the opposite of what is taught all the way through Scripture. Salvation is a gift. So, we need to keep the metaphor in place here. He is saying that because of your spiritual poverty you need to come to the one who has true riches. I am the One, Jesus says, who has those true riches, and you can buy true riches. You can buy gold and white garments, so to speak, from me and clothe yourself and not be in the spiritual situation that you’re in now. One interesting comment we might make is concerning eye salve. He says you can “buy eye salve and anoint your eyes so that you may see.” Apparently, at that time, this city was known for some kind of powder or salve that they used for eyes to help them see. Apparently, this was medicinal of some sort. I’m not sure how well it worked, but they were known for it. So, when He brought up this issue of, “eye salve so they could see,” they would understand on the physical level what that was about and could apply it on a spiritual level.
He tells them, “Don’t get the idea I don’t like you or that I hate you.” Rather, He says in Revelation 3:19, “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, therefore be zealous and repent.” So, I love you, I’m reproving you, I’m showing you where you’re wrong because I love you and I call you to repentance. Turn around and go the opposite direction.
Then we have this really well-known verse Revelation 3:20, “Behold I stand at the door and knock if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. So, we have a picture here now of Christ standing outside of the door and knocking. There is a famous picture of Christ standing outside the door of “people’s hearts” knocking, asking for entryway into their hearts that is drawn from this verse, but I think there is a problem with that. The Lord is addressing churches. Not everybody in all these churches is saved, that is for sure. However, they would not be churches if there weren’t believers in the churches. So, we have this picture in context of Christ standing outside the door of the church and knocking and asking for entryway so that He can come in and dine with them and enjoy that kind of fellowship with them. So, the picture seems to be of Christ talking to His church, not about salvation but about this fellowship and the usefulness they could have with Him. Some also believe this could simply be a picture of the end times in the future. That the Lord is calling His church to a time ultimately, in Revelation 19, at the marriage supper of the Lamb where we sit down together. All those that know Him will sit down together and enjoy that time with Him. Perhaps, that’s what He is talking about . . .
The final church in the book of Revelation that is being addressed is the church at Laodicea. This church probably gets more attention than any of the others because of the messages that are here. Ephesus, the first church, gets some attention as well. However, these two bookend the seven churches and draw more commentary perhaps than the others.
The church of Laodicea was an interesting church. It is actually mentioned in the book of Colossians. The book of Colossians was to be sent to the church at Laodicea so that they could read it. So, we have to believe that there were some solid Christians there at that church at one point in time, and they had received the messages of the book of Colossians and possibly Philemon and Ephesians as well. When we come to this particular point in time, we find that something very different has taken place.
Revelation 3:14, says, “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this…” So once again, Jesus is characterized here. He says who He is. He is the Amen. The Amen is “so be it” more or less. It’s a final word on anything. He is the final word on all things. He says He is the faithful and true witness. His faithfulness is pinpointed. If they are not faithful and true, He is, and He is a faithful and true witness. He also says, “the beginning of creation of God says this.” The word “beginning” there is the idea of “source.” He is the One who created all things, so He is the monarch over all things because of that.
Now here is what He has to say. In Revelation 3:15, “I know your deeds.” So once again, I’m aware of who you are. I know your deeds. I am omniscient. He continues, “that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.” This verse of Scripture and the one that follows is often used in sermons and so forth to say that the Lord wants us to either be red hot for Him - just serving the Lord with great passion or just as cold as a fish and just have no passion whatsoever just go through the motions. The Lord would rather have you one or the other. So, reading just this verse of Scripture it would seem that could be the case. He says, “So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.” So, because you are not one or the other, I am going to spew you out or vomit you out of my mouth is what Jesus is saying there. So, what is He saying? I’m going to take exception to the idea that the Lord wants you either red hot for Him or cold and that lukewarm Christianity is that which He cannot stomach. I don’t think that’s exactly what He is saying. One of the keys to understanding this verse is to know that near Laodicea were hot springs where water was boiling hot, and it was used for purposes because it was hot. There were also cold springs nearby in which water had to be piped into Laodicea from those springs of water that were very icy cold. So, you had nearby hot and cold. Both of those types of water were very valuable. Hot water has wonderful purposes. Who doesn’t like to bathe in a nice warm bath? The cold water is good to drink. So, He is talking about that, but lukewarm water doesn’t have much value. So, I think what He is saying is not that He wants us either hot or cold for him. He is saying He wants us to be useful for Him. Hot water is useful, cold water is useful, but lukewarm water is not. He is saying that if you are not going to be useful to Him – He would just spit you out of His mouth. He has no real use for one that is not useful for His purposes. So, I think that is what He is saying. I trust that you can think about that . . .
The sixth church addressed in the book of Revelation is the church of Philadelphia. This was a church that was probably not very highly thought of by the world and even by the other Christians in various communities, but the Lord thought very highly of this particular church.
We pick up this study in Revelation 3:7, “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this…” Once again, the picture of Christ, drawing from other scriptures as well as Revelation 1, finds that Jesus Christ is holy, He is true, He has the key of David, and He is in absolute charge. He is absolutely sovereign. He opens and no one shuts, and He shuts and no one opens. That’s a wonderful picture. If He wants to open a door for ministry for a local church, He will open it. If He wants to shut it, He will shut it and the churches had better pay attention. There is so much here about this little church. We will run through it very quickly.
He says in Revelation 3:8, “I know your deeds.” He is saying, I’m not blind to those things. I have absolute omniscience. I know all things. He continues, “Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut,” once again, no one can shut it, “because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name.” There is no condemnation for this church. It is all talking about either some commendation or some reward. He says here, “because you have a little power,” – so, they probably were not prominent like some of the other churches that are being addressed here, but they have kept His Word and they have not denied His name. “Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie – I will make them come and bow down at your feet and make them know that I have loved you.” Apparently, there was a very strong contingency of Satan worship in this town. They were great persecutors of the church, oppressing the church in powerful ways. He says, don’t worry about those folks because I’ll make them come and bow down ultimately before you and they will know that I have loved you. So, whatever they are doing, whatever discomfort they are trying to bring to the Christians at Philadelphia He essentially says to them; “You don’t worry about it, I’ll take care of it and someday the truth will be borne out.”
Revelation 3:10, “Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.” Because of perseverance He is going to protect them from a particularly nasty time of testing. Now, we don’t know exactly what this is for sure. Some believe this is a verse referencing the Tribulation period that is going to be found starting in Revelation 6. We don’t know for sure about that. Some see this as a very powerful verse of Scripture speaking of the Rapture. That the church will be removed from this hour of testing coming on the whole world, and because they have overcome, because they are followers of the Lord they will not go through that hour of testing. I’m not convinced that that’s the case, it might be, I could be wrong. It could also be talking about other hours of testing such as the great testing that was coming upon Christians – the great persecution – that would come at the latter part of the first century and some of these Christians would face that. That might be what He is talking about here that He would protect this particular church. Either way, we do know that He is going to protect them . . .
We left off in the book of Revelation 3, right in the middle of the message to the church in Sardis. This is a church that the Lord said had a reputation for being alive, but the Lord’s evaluation was that they were dead. So, He is trying to wake them up. He is calling them to wake up and to change. We have looked at all of that already. Now we are going to look at the ending of this particular message as He talks about the reward that would be theirs if they heed what He has to say.
So, we pick it up at Revelation 3:5 when He says, “He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.” There are three different rewards given to those who overcome. So, the first thing we need to do is determine what is an overcomer. There are those that look at words like this in the Scripture and think that this is an elite group of Christians. These are the ones that have overcome and have become famous or powerful or useful or super Christians in some form or the other. That is not the way the word is used in the Bible, and it is not the way it is being used here. As we go forward, we see that the overcomers are true believers. So, in the church at Sardis, like all churches I suppose, there was a mixed bag of people. There were people there that truly knew Christ and truly loved Him. He already mentioned those people in an earlier verse. There are also some there that are going through the motions. They are not truly saved. They profess something, but they don’t really live it, and He recognizes some of them do not really know Christ. Perhaps John doesn’t know who is a true believer and who is not. He doesn’t try to distinguish that here except to say, “those that have overcome.” Those that have overcome sin because of the power and the blood of Christ who has died for our sins – that person would be the overcomer. That’s who He is talking about here. The believers in the church at Sardis.
Then He goes on to say that those that overcome will be clothed in white garments in Revelation 3:5, “He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments.” Interesting here with the term – white garments – this could imply many different things. Often at victory celebrations in ancient times they wore white. Also, at festivals when people were coming to a fancy party of some kind, perhaps a ball for a king, they would wear very white clothing. Most often, the word white in this regard speaks of purity. They would have their sins forgiven and completely wiped out and they would have white garments in that sense. “Whiter than snow,” as we see in Isaiah. That is probably what He has in mind here. The overcomers will be people who will be dressed, in this metaphorical sense, in white. They will be purified. Their sins will be forgiven . . .
The book of Revelation is the final book of the Bible. It was originally addressed to seven local churches in Asia or what is today modern-day Turkey. These churches were a real mixed bag. Some of them were excellent churches. Some were mediocre, and a couple of them were a mess. Each of these churches had a message come from Christ. Today we are looking at Revelation 3 and the final three churches that had messages sent from the Lord Himself.
It says in Revelation 3:1, “To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: I know your deeds that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.” So, we have a picture of Christ here. The seven spirits, most believe, is a picture of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit being seven spirits in the sense of completion or perfection. The seven stars most believe are the churches themselves. So, the Lord is in charge of and controls the seven churches or the seven stars.
His message to this church at Sardis was this: “I know your deeds. I am omnipotent and I know all things. That you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.” That’s a very sorry statement isn’t it. Wouldn’t it be awful to be a local church that thought they were doing great things for God, and that they were really on target, and they were a great church, and then get a message from the Lord that your reputation in fact – in the world – is that the outward appearance is you are alive, and a growing entity and people look at you as a great church. However, Christ’s comment is that they were dead. It doesn’t really matter, of course long term, whether anybody on the outside thinks a local church is a good or great church. What matters is what Christ thinks about our local churches, my church, your church, and the church at Sardis. The Lord said, you look like you are alive and like you have it going, but the truth is you are dead. What an ugly picture. So, we have this final chapter to the churches. We have two churches that look like they are doing great: Sardis and Laodicea. Both of them, however, the Lord says are not doing well at all. Then we have one church sandwiched in between, the church of Philadelphia that seemed to the world not to be very much at all, yet the Lord gives them great commendations.
The message the Lord has for this church of Sardis it says in Revelation 3:2, “Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God.” So, He says look, strengthen the things that remain. So, everything wasn’t totally gone yet. There must have been some spark of life left in that church. He calls for them to recognize those things and strengthen them. He also says that He’s not found their deeds completed in His sight. Whatever they were doing was not completed. It was not what God wanted them to do. Perhaps some good starts but no good completions.
So, what does He tell them to do? In Revelation 3:3 He says firstly, “So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it and repent.” Now what would that be? I think it has to be the gospel. I think it has to be the Holy Spirit. I think it has to be all the riches that Christ gives His people and His churches. He tells them I want you to remember what those are and what you have received and then keep it. This is the idea of perseverance. We find this throughout the letter to the people at Sardis. They need to persevere. They have had some good starts. They perhaps have done some good things. But they are not persevering. So, keep it, He says, and repent. So, there are sections of their lives where they need to recognize they are going the wrong direction. They are simply wrong. They need to turn around and go another direction. They need to repent of what they are doing . . .
We’re looking at the fourth church in Asia that the book of Revelation was initially addressing. This is the church of Thyatira in Revelation 2:18, and this is the longest message to any of the churches.
In Revelation 2:18, it says, “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: The Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are like burnished bronze, says this,” going back to Revelation 1:15 and the description of Jesus, we see His eyes see all things and judge all things and the feet of burnished bronze speaks of His power to stamp out all evil.
It says, “I know your deeds,” He always knows, “and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that Your deeds of late are greater than at first.” What a commendation that is. They are not only a church that has many great virtues. They are also a church that are growing in those virtues. That is a commendable thing.
He immediately moves into an area of condemnation in Revelation 2:20, He says, “But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.” So, this is a woman. Apparently, a literal woman. Her name may not be Jezebel. That may simply be a description. You remember Jezebel – she has the distinction of being the most wicked woman in all the Old Testament scriptures. So, whether this lady’s name was actually Jezebel, or she just characterized Jezebel we are not sure, but she is leading the people into the sinful behaviors, immorality, and involvement with idols.
He continues in Revelation 2:21, “I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality. Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds.” So, three times we come up with the word repent. He gave her time to repent, and she doesn’t want it. She wants nothing to do with it. So, the Lord is going to bring chastisement or judgment upon her and those who follow her if they do not repent. It appears He is still giving her and them a bit of time to repent. If they do not, He will come against them.
He says in Revelation 2:23, “And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds. But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them – I place no other burden on you.” So, He is looking to a different group of people who are not following this lady, Jezebel, and her sinfulness and her immorality, and not following the deep things of Satan. We are not sure what that doctrine was, but it is ugly and its corrupted. He places no other burden on them. He continues, “Nevertheless, what you have, hold fast until I come.” So, persevere and continue to do what you’re doing and don’t get sidetracked by these false teachings . . .
We’re looking at the third church of what I believe was Asia minor at the time. These churches are being sent messages from the Lord through the apostle John in the book of Revelation.
We are in Revelation 2:12, and this letter to the church of Pergamum is following the same outline as the others do. It starts with a description of Christ. “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: The One who has the sharp two-edged sword says this.” Again, this sharp two-edged sword goes back to Revelation 1:16. What does it mean that He has a sharp two-edged sword coming from His mouth? Probably one of two things, perhaps they overlap, but it speaks of God’s words – the speaking of the Lord, the Word of God spoken by the Savior. It also can speak of His Word spoken in judgement. So, His Word, and also the issue of judgment, is in line with the sharp two-edged sword.
As He says to every one of the churches, He says, “I know.” Revelation 2: 13, “I know where you dwell,” I know where they live. He continues, “where Satan’s throne is,” we have a city that is just inundated with the corruption of the devil himself, “and you hold fast My name,” right there in the midst of all that corruption and the spiritual impurity and power they are standing fast. So, He is commending them for that. He continues, “and did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas,” Antipas was apparently somebody who was martyred for the cause, “My witness, My faithful one who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.” So, they had at least one individual there that has been martyred, but they stood fast. They held their faith and so the Lord commends them for standing in the midst of that kind of persecution.
Now, He moves on to His condemnations in Revelation 2:14. He says, “But I have a few things against you because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality.” So first, He has this against them – they are following the teachings of Balaam. Now, Balaam was the prophet back in the Old Testament. Remember his donkey talked to him – that’s his claim to fame. He tried to curse Israel and failed. God would not let him curse Israel. So, he taught Balak how to be a stumbling block to Israel by introducing immorality and idolatry to the people of Israel and it caused the people of Israel to stumble. So, we have this prophet who leads them into compromise with sin. They are listening to somebody like that who is causing them to compromise with the truth of God and compromise with sin. He also has something else against them in Revelation 2:15, He says, “So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.” We saw them before. Probably a group that was taking the grace of God and used it as a license to sin. So, He is concerned about that as well.
So, what is the correction? In Revelation 2:16 it says, “Therefore repent,” just as He had said to the church at Ephesus. They needed to repent. They needed to recognize they were doing wrong, and they needed to switch directions. First, in their minds, change direction in their thinking and recognize that they are going in the direction of sin and desire to turn in the opposite direction and that should result in a changed life as well.
Now He is going to warn them, “or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of my mouth.” So He tells them basically, “If you are not going to do the right thing, I am going to come and I am going to make war against those who are causing problems here.” So, these could be the false teachers and all those who have bought into these false teachings . . .
We’re looking at the second message today to the church of Smyrna. This is one of the shortest messages, and this is one of only two churches where there is nothing negative said about the church. Yet this is the kind of church that the world would not be impressed by.
We start with the character of Christ as every one of these messages do in Revelation 2:8, “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write:” now here is the description of Christ, “The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this.” So, He is going back to Revelation 1, and the descriptions of Christ. He is the first and the last, beginning and end, and the Alpha and the Omega. That is who Jesus Christ is. What a comfort that is to these folks. He is eternal – He has always been there. He is in charge. He is sovereign. He is immutable – He never changes. He is the first and He is the last. The verse continues saying, “who was dead and has come to life.” This might be particularly important to the church of Smyrna because the city itself had ceased to exist some centuries before probably because of some invasions and so forth, but it had come back to life some centuries later, but that was part of its history, having been dead and coming back to life. Even more so, as we move into the message, we find that death hung over this church. They are one of the most persecuted of the seven churches. They were in danger, some of them perhaps, of losing their lives and the Lord is wanting them to know that even if that takes place, He has conquered death. They may die in this life for the cause of Christ, but they will be resurrected from the dead. They will come back to life as Christ did because Christ, their Lord, conquered death.
Then He begins the actual message, and He starts with a commendation. He says, “I know.” Every one of these commendations begin with this statement “I know.” Christ knows. He is not deceived, He is not getting fake news, He is not getting information that is unreliable. He knows! He says, “I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich),” what a beautiful phrase. He knows they are going through hard times. He doesn’t doubt that. He understands it. He knows their poverty. So, apparently, they are a very poor church so they wouldn’t have a very beautiful cathedral or anything like that. They are just a very poor, common people. He immediately adds the phrase, “but you are rich.” So, in the things that matter, their spiritual wealth, they are rich even though in this life they may be in poverty. “and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.” So, they are under a particular pressure, by a group of Jewish people perhaps, but He says they are from the synagogue of Satan. So, whether there is an actual literal synagogue of Satan here or not is debatable, but nevertheless, it is a religion controlled by the devil himself. That would probably be the takeaway. He says, “Do not fear what you are about to suffer.” He does not minimize that. He has already said I know your tribulations, and it’s going to get worse. They are going to suffer. Revelation 2:10 continues, “Behold, the devil,” once again Satan is mentioned, “is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days.” Ten days is a common Greek expression for a short period of time. So, they are going to have a really difficult time in front of them of being cast into prison. They are going to be tested for at least a short period of time . . .
We pick up where we left off last time in Revelation 2 looking at the message to the church in Ephesus. We have already seen the character of Christ and the commendation that He gives to this church. This is a wonderful church. It is busy, it is doing the things that it should do. It holds the line against false teachers and the Lord wants to commend them for these many things. But, starting with Revelation 2:4 He begins to condemn them, so to speak. He is bringing to them some areas of concern that He has with them.
He says, “But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” This is the major issue at the church of Ephesus. “What did He mean that they had left their first love?” This has been a question for Bible commentators for a long time. They had not left Christ. It wasn’t that they didn’t love Christ. They were not loving other things more than Christ, I don’t think. That would be closer to idolatry. I think we are talking more about the passion and fervor of their life. I think, like almost anything in life, we can grow used to even the best of things including our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. While we can continue to go through the routines and do all the things that we ought to be doing as Christians, as they were doing at Ephesus; the passion, the heart, the desire, the true drive begins to fade, and we find ourselves going through the motions, but not with a heart of love. So, that is probably what He has in mind here. I think this is something that we all need to be on guard with in our own personal lives first, and then of course in our churches. Let us make sure that we are serving Christ out of hearts of love. Our love is for Him. Our supreme love is for the Lord Jesus Christ and let that not grow cold. So, He says this to them in a way of correction saying, “Now here’s your problem, you have left your first love.”
How is that going to be corrected? He says in Revelation 2:5, “Therefore, remember from where you have fallen.” He is telling them that they need to recognize that they are not what they used to be and that they have fallen. And He says, “and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place – unless you repent.” Twice He says, “repent.” So, after they recognize that they have done wrong, and after they have remembered from where they have fallen; they now repent from that. They now turn away from the direction they have been going and return to the direction they used to go. That is the idea of repentance. Changing your mind, switching direction in your mind in such a way that you switch directions in your life. So, they are to repent and return to what they used to do.
He says if they do not do that, He is going to remove their lampstand. This is a phrase used several times in these messages to the churches. Speaking of the idea that, perhaps, their ministry would be diminished. They are put in a particular location. As a lampstand they are to shine the light of Christ, and if they are not doing that as they should be doing, then the Lord might simply remove them from that position of being a lighthouse for Him. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the doors of the church close because I think a lot of churches that long ago have had their lampstand removed are still in existence, but they are no longer the lighthouse for Christ. They are no longer the shining light for Christ. That is over because they have moved away from the things of the Lord . . .
We are moving into Revelation 2, and we are looking at the seven churches of Asia which were in modern day Turkey. The book of Revelation obviously has a wider audience, including all Christians of all times, but these seven churches were the immediate audience.
So, there are seven churches here in this region. They were in close proximity, but they are very different. Every church here is very different, and of course that would be true of churches today. We have many churches in our Springfield area. Every church has its own personality and strengths and weaknesses. Some are very strong, and some are very weak. So, every church is different. As I read through these specific chapters about these churches, I often ask myself, what if the Lord was writing to our church, Southern View Chapel? If He were to take the time to write a message to us and write six to eight verses like He did to these churches, I wonder what He would say. I think He would point out some good things and some not so good things and some means of changing and so forth. Sometimes we are blind to our own concerns, our own needs, and our own areas of weakness. So, I wonder what the Lord would say to our church. With that in mind, we want to go into this humbly. We want to be looking at all the things we can learn from these messages to these seven churches. On most occasions, I’ll just do one church at a time. Maybe this time as we look at the very first one and set up the program so to speak, I will take a couple of days to look at Ephesus which is the leading church of this region. It gets a lot of play in the New Testament. We have a whole book of Ephesians written to the church of Ephesus. We have people like Paul and Timothy and others who have ministered there. It was a very powerful church. Paul spent three years at Ephesus teaching the Word of God and giving the gospel. From Ephesus, the Word of God spread through all regions, and it probably was the original church in the area and all these other churches founded based upon Paul’s ministry there at Ephesus. So, it is a very important church.
As we look at these messages to the seven churches, they break down into six divisions. Every one of them, more or less, follows this pattern:
Character of Christ: Christ is the one speaking and each message provides the descriptions or character of Christ that can be seen if we go back to Revelation 1.
Commendation: The church is provided a commendation as the Lord commends the churches for what they are doing well.
Condemnation: This is where the church is shown their errors within the church and the things that need to be changed.
Correction: Christ doesn’t just condemn them without giving them the solution. He tells them how they can change.
Consequence: After the church is told where their errors lie, and given their course of correction, they are given a warning of consequence if they choose to ignore the message given to them.
Challenge: Finally, the Lord gives a challenge to that church.
So that is pretty much the pattern we will be looking at each time. So, with that background, let’s jump into the message to the church of Ephesus . . .
We’re going to finish Revelation 1 today. We have been looking at the descriptions of Jesus Christ which, of course, fits in with the very first verse, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ…”
As we come to Revelation 1:17, John is speaking here saying, “When I saw Him, I fell at His feel like a dead man.” So, John is overwhelmed with the picture and presence of Jesus. Some people ask, “Why would that be? Afterall, John was the disciple Jesus loved, he leaned against Jesus at the Last Supper, he spent over three years ministering with Jesus and he knew him better than anyone else knew him. So why in the world would he be overwhelmed in the presence of Jesus now?” Of course, if you have gone back and read the verses prior to this, you would see this is no ordinary picture of Jesus. John knew Jesus in His humanity and His glory was shielded. It was sheltered from us. We couldn’t see it in its full manifestation. Even John couldn’t see it, but now we see and now John sees it. When he is there in the very presence of his glorious Savior, he is overwhelmed. He just simply cannot stand up. So, he falls down like a dead man, “And He placed His right hand on me saying…” so, Jesus touches him and He says this, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.” That’s quite a sentence. Let’s break it down a little. He says to John, “Don’t be afraid, I am the first and the last…” remember, alpha and omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last, the beginning of all things, the consummation of all things. And, “the living one,” so He of course went to the cross and died for us, but He is resurrected. We have already seen that mentioned earlier in the book in this chapter. He says, “I was dead, and behold I am alive forevermore,” so death could not defeat Jesus. Jesus defeated death. He did die. He died for our sins. To release us from sins He told us earlier, but at the same time He has overwhelmed death, He has conquered death and He is alive. Not just temporarily to go back to the grave like Lazarus. Remember, Lazarus resurrected from the dead because Jesus called him forth, but he went back to the grave. He died again. Jesus never would die again. He is alive forevermore. “…and I have the keys of death and of Hades.” So, Jesus is in charge of death and Hades. Death would seem in this book to speak of the physical death. Where Hades would be more in line with the idea of spiritual death and the place of the spiritual dead who do not know Christ. So, He has the keys to both of them and He is in charge of all things including death and Hades.
Then Revelation 1:19, as we saw last week, is the index or table of contents you might say of the book, “Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things.” So, this is our table of contents. He said write the things of which you have seen – these are the things in Revelation 1 that John is seeing right now, and the things which are – those will be the things we will see in Revelation 2 & 3, and perhaps Revelation 4 & 5, depending on how you look at that. We will see that later. And then, I want you to write about, “…the things which will take place after these things.” Those are the future events after Revelation 5, after the church age and the things that will happen in the Tribulation period and ongoing. So, that would be the table of contents, and this would be what is coming up in the book . . .
We left off beginning to look at the descriptions of Jesus Christ that are given here. These are not like any kind of description of Christ that we can find anywhere else in the Bible. We are seeing Him now in His glory and splendor and who He really is.
Starting in Revelation 1:13, “and in the middle of the lampstands,” the lampstands are going to have significance beginning in Revelation 2, because he speaks of each of the seven churches having a lampstand which symbolizes their witness to the world, their light to the world that points to Christ and these seven churches have a lampstand that they are to maintain for the glory of Christ. Christ is in the middle of these lampstands, so He is the central feature. The churches aren’t central, the lampstands aren’t central, Christ is central. So, Christ stands in the midst of this, and John says, “I saw one like a son of man,” so we have the retaining of some semblance of humanity here – Jesus looks like a man, but He is no ordinary man, as we read further, he says, “clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash.” So, we have a splendor. He is dressed like a king. He is dressed like royalty here. “His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow,” notice the terms like. Six different times he says these symbols represent something like something else. So, it’s not necessarily exactly what John saw. Remember that he is describing the indescribable, so we have to give him a little bit of a break on that. He tells us that His head and His hair were white like wool. This idea could cover a couple of things. White in this Scripture, such as in Isaiah 1, is speaking of purity or holiness. So, there is a holiness here that is represented in Christ. Some suggest that because His hair is white it speaks of His age. Christ is eternal, He does not have an age per se, but He is the Ancient of Days Scripture says. He is endless. He is timeless. So, it could speak of the fact that He has always been here. He is eternal. Not in a sense of time like we think of time, but in the fact that He is the Ancient of Days, and that wisdom comes with that ancientness.
It also says, “and His eyes were like a flame of fire.” We will find this description in several places as we go on in the book of Revelation. His eyes being like a flame of fire would speak of His eyes being able to penetrate and see that which is true. What humanity has often thought and usually thinks is that they can hide from God. They can get by with their sins. They can do whatever they want to do, and God will not see them. The picture we find of Jesus throughout this book is One whose eyes can see it all. His eyes penetrate. His eyes can see. It’s like fire is the way it is being described here. Revelation 1:15 says, “His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace.” We see a picture of His power and perhaps of His judgment. Bronze like this, is power on His feet, and can speak of the ability to trample down something. We find that, in Revelation 14 and 19, the Lord trampling in judgement upon those who have rejected Him. Perhaps His feet here, in this case, is speaking of that. Then it says, “and His voice was like the sound of many waters,” this speaks of power. Think of waterfalls, the Niagara Falls or something, the great power, the great noise. It speaks of the strength of Christ Himself and His Word.
And then it goes on in Revelation 1:16, “In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.” So, we have three pictures here. In His right hand He held the seven stars. When we look down to Revelation 2, we find these stars referencing these seven churches that He is in charge of and wants to speak to. So, He is in charge of these seven churches . . .
Today we are in Revelation 1:9, and we are looking at the things that it’s telling us about Christ. We’re going to be moving into the descriptions of Christ. What a description it is!
Let’s start with John in Revelation 1:9, “I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos.” John is telling us about his own personal life. He is an old man. We know he is probably in his mid-90s by now. He outlived the other apostles by years. He is the only one of the apostles that was not martyred, although tradition tells us that he was persecuted, and was put into a vat of boiling oil of some sort at some point. We are not exactly sure about that. At this point in time, John is in exile on this island of Patmos because of the gospel. He says, “because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day.” The Spirit, probably means that the Lord is now going to give him a vision and the book of Revelation will be made up of vision that the Lord gives John. He says, on the Lord’s day, which could be Sunday, could simply mean an idea of the Lord’s day in the future, the day of the Lord, we’re not positive about that. He says, “and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, saying, ‘Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.” So, the Lord I saying, I have a message for these seven churches, this message will be expanded to all churches at all times, but immediately to these seven churches and I want you to write in a book what I’m going to give you.
So, as John does that, something wonderful happens in Revelation 1:12, “Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; and in the middle of the lampstands.” Let’s stop there for a moment. He is in the spirit in the Lord right now, which probably means he is having a vision. It is possible the Lord took him physically to heaven to see these things, it’s also possible the Lord took him spiritually by taking his spirit to heaven to see these things, or it’s possible that he simply received a vision of all the things he is going to see. We don’t have to nail that down, but we do know this is a miraculous revelation that he is being given from God, and that revelation begins with a description of Jesus Christ. We’ve seen Christ in the Bible, especially the gospels, where the four gospels tell us about the earthly life of Jesus and many things about him, but there is nothing quite like this particular description of Jesus in all the rest of the Bible. This is Christ in all of His glory and all of His splendor and there are many different pictures here. I want you to note that much of this is probably symbolic. So don’t press it too hard. As a matter of fact, he says this appearance of him was like, in Revelation 1:13, “and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man.” John speaks of the word like as a comparison and he does that time and time again going through these next several sentences. So, we know that John is trying to describe the indescribable. He sees Christ and he describes what he can describe, but he can only describe so much. Often, he compares Jesus with something else, and so Jesus in this case is like the son of man so there is an appearance here of humanity. Jesus, although he is in his glory and splendor here, still retains something of his humanity, his appearance as a man. As far as we know he will have an appearance of a human being throughout all of eternity. So, he sees him like the son of man, and he is, “clothed in a robe reaching to the feet.”
Remember the book of Revelation is the revelation of Jesus Christ. So more than anything else we are getting a picture, a full description, of who Christ is. Revelation 1 is especially pinpointing that issue. Yesterday we saw who He is. We saw He is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, He’s the ruler of the kings of the earth and in Revelation 1:8 we see he is the Alpha and Omega.
Today we will look at what He has done. These are things that Christ has done or is going to do. The very early portions of this book pinpoint this for us. It wants us to know what Christ has done and what He is doing for us.
So, we go return Revelation 1:5, where it says, “To Him who loves us,” so let’s start with the fact that He loves us. I don’t think we understand the full gravity of that. The fact that He loves us. What a wonderful thought. In other religions they have deities, of course these are mythological deities, these deities never love those who follow them and worship them. Those who worship them, these ancestors or these false deities or Allah in the case of Islam, they worship these deities or these spirit beings because they are afraid of them. They want to keep them happy, and they want to appease them. There is no concept really of a close personal relationship with these false spirit beings. There is certainly no love coming from those deities to those people. That’s just the opposite with our Father and with the Son. He loves us, and all that he does for us is because he loves us. When we speak of His love for us, we are always reminded of the most familiar Scripture in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son.” The motivation for the redemption of humanity, and the motivation for Christ coming, is the love of God and the love of the Son. So, we find that He loves us.
Secondly, as we move on, we find that He, “released us from our sins by His blood.” We are going back to the same thing. Love is the motivation. The action is that He “released us from our sins by His blood.” That’s an unusual way to say it in Scripture. We’re used to the terms like atonement or other such words like redemption. Releasing us is an interesting way of saying it, isn’t it? We are captivated by sin. We are captured. We’re slaves to sin. Something had to be done to release us from that power of sin. What could that possibly be? Well, it could only be the blood of Christ. So, the love of God motivated Him to send His Son. The Son came for the express purpose of setting us free from the sin that overpowered us and captured us and doomed us. He has released us by His blood. So, we go right back to the consistent teaching all the way back to Genesis 3, and all the way to the end of the scriptures that Jesus Christ died for us. His blood was shed for us.
Then we move on to a third thing He has done in Revelation 1:6, and it says, “and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father,” and so He has not only saved us and loves us, but he has made us a people. A people that are a kingdom. A kingdom of priests. Priests worship God. They come before God, and they lead in that kind of worship. So, we are a kingdom, not of an army per se, but a kingdom of priests, a kingdom of worshipers to God. So, the Lord has formed his people, and that is something else he has done.
He is not done yet! We go to Revelation 1:7, “Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who have pierced Him, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So, it is to be. Amen.” So, we find that He is also coming again . . .
There have been two extremes on the book of Revelation.
One is to ignore it because of all the symbolism, and all the areas there. There are things brought up that are very difficult sometimes to interpret, so people simply ignore it. That really is a great loss as we find in Revelation 1:3-4 that this is the one book of Scripture that promises a blessing for those that read it. It says, “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.” So, we want to be reading it and heeding it and living by it.
The other extreme is to press every symbol and every idea so literally that we come up with really weird interpretations. People have tried to identify the antichrist through the book of Revelation. They have tried to set a date for the return of Jesus Christ and things along that line that are simply beyond the scope of the book. That is not what we want to do. We want to go through the book as it is written and be blessed by the teaching that is here.
It opens with the words, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ.” So, it is not just a picture of the future. It is a revelation, a revealing, of Jesus Christ himself. He is the central character and the central feature of the book. That is especially so in the early going as we look at the first several chapters.
I want to drop down to Revelation 1:4 and pick up several of the themes. It says, “John to the seven churches that are in Asia.” So, the immediate audience for these writings are seven churches in Asia minor or modern-day Turkey. He says, “Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne.” Now we know here that the one spoken of here – the one who is and who was and who is to come – it describes in the book of Revelation both the Father and the Son. So, I don’t know that we need to distinguish that so clearly here, but this is the description of Christ and the Father. It also speaks of the seven spirits before His throne. The seven spirits are going to be found throughout the book of Revelation and in many places. We are never really told, however, exactly who these seven spirits are. So, there has been a lot of interpretations, and a lot of ideas. We are going to leave it where John and the Lord leave it. We do know the seven spirits that are before His throne are angelic beings of some sort, but we are not going to press it beyond that. Revelation 1:5 says, “and from Jesus Christ,” and so here we are talking about Jesus Christ Himself.
What we want to find out here in the first seven verses are two things about Jesus Christ: who He is and what He has done. So, let’s look today at who He is. We find many things about who Christ is in these opening verses. It says first, in Revelation 1:5, that He is, “the faithful witness”. I think this speaks of His incarnation. When He came to earth, He said in John 1 that He came to reveal to us or exegete to us – explain to us the Father. So, He did that faithfully as He came to this planet. As He came to this earth and lived among us, He testified of the Father. He showed us who God was. If you want to know who God is, take a real good look at Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness. Secondly, we find He is, “the firstborn of the dead.” So, the picture here moves straight beyond the cross, not denying the cross in any way, but it moves beyond the cross to the Resurrection, and He is the firstborn of the dead. He died on the cross, but He has also been resurrected from the dead. So, He is alive, and the picture in the book of Revelation is of a living Savior. Thirdly, we find He is, “the ruler of the kings of the earth.” He is the ruler over all things. This becomes a prominent theme. In fact, many things in Revelation 1 become prominent later. In Revelation 14 and 19 we see He is the ruler over all things.
We begin with Revelation 1:1-3 which says, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.” The opening verse simply says, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ.” Quite often when we think of Revelation we think of future events and the prophetic portions of the book. That is true, but it says itself right at the very first line that this is, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ.” So, Christ is the central figure of the book, and we see that throughout the book and especially in Revelation 1.
He is revealing something to John who is in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day in Revelation 1:10. This is the first time, and only time, in Scripture that we hear this word the Lord’s Day. Historically and traditionally, we have considered the Lord’s Day to be Sunday. That may be what John means here. That he was in the Spirit on Sunday, or it could also simply mean that it is a spiritual event of the Lord’s Day, something in the future. We don’t want to be dogmatic about that, but that is what we hear from John in this verse.
The Lord has given a vision to John, and He says in Revelation 1:4, “John to the seven churches that are in Asia.” So, He is writing directly to seven existing churches that are in Asia, or what would be Turkey minor today, that were in existence. These churches were New Testament churches, they were at different levels of spiritual maturity, and the Lord is addressing this book to them. In Revelation 2-3, He gets very specific with each of the churches.
As read on, it says, “Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come.” So, we see a picture of God the Father and God the Son in those particular words. Who is – He exists now. Who was – He has always existed. Who is to come – these are future events detailed concerning the coming of Jesus Christ.
He moves on to talk about Christ in Revelation 1:5, and says here, “the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood.” So, we have a Redemption factor here right from the beginning. This is not simply eschatology -- which is the doctrine of end times. It is not simply prophecy. It is reminding us that Jesus Christ released us. He set us free. He redeemed us by His blood from our sins as Revelation 1:6 tells us, “and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father.” So, we are a chosen people. We have been brought out. We’ve been drawn into a kingdom for Him, “to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
And then it says in Revelation 1:7, “Behold, He is coming with the clouds...” so we are going to be looking at the coming of Christ in this book. This goes back to Zechariah 12, in a prophecy there in concerning the coming of Christ and the Jews seeing Him as He comes. And they will mourn over Him, they will repent, and they will turn to Him at that time.
In Revelation 1:8 He says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God” that’s the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. So, He’s the First and the Last, the beginning and the end of all things. All things begin with Him, and all things come to a conclusion in Jesus Christ. Revelation 1:8 finishes saying, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
What a picture we already have here of Jesus Christ, and we have only just begun.
Revelation is the one book of Scripture that promises a blessing for those that read and study it. So, we are going to get a blessing together in our Wonderful Day in the Lord broadcast.
I want to give you an overview of how Revelation has been approached by mainly conservative Christians. Part of the problem with understanding it is that different groups have approached this book from different directions and different schools of interpretation. Depending on your school of interpretation that will determine what you come away with in the book of Revelation.
One school of interpretation is known as “Preterist”. Preterists believe that everything in the book of Revelation has already been fulfilled. A more moderate Preterist group believes one thing is left to be fulfilled and that is the return of Christ and with that the eternal kingdom. A full Preterist, however, would believe that Christ has already returned in 70 AD. So, in the Preterist system everything in the book of Revelation has already been fulfilled in 70 AD. This is a major problem from our understanding, because the book of Revelation wasn’t written until the 90s AD by an aging apostle John. So, if it was all fulfilled in 70 AD, then John really didn’t have much he would have needed to say in the book of Revelation. So, we reject the Preterist position, although we understand why some take that position.
The second view is the Historical view. The Historical view believes that this whole book is an overview of church history beginning with the first century and going right into the time that Jesus comes back. We find this Historic view held even by some who believe that most of this book is prophetic, especially regarding Revelation 2-3. When the Historical view looks at the seven churches in Revelation 2-3, they say this is an overview of church history. So, under that view, for example, the church at Ephesus was the first century church. The other churches depicted various points of church history, such as the Reformation, etc. Then the church at Laodicea, for example, the last church, is the church that is lukewarm, and usually that is a sign of the church of modern times. It is a characteristic of our lukewarm Christianity today. So, some people go with a Historic view in Revelation 2-3 and then a prophetic view later. We would reject that one as well because we believe these seven churches were literal seven churches at that time.
A third view is what is known as Idealistic or Allegorical approach. This approach believes that the whole book is about allegorical symbols, and that perhaps there was at one time a code that unpacked what those symbols meant, but we no longer have that code/book, so we really don’t know what the book of Revelation means. Under that belief, most of those types of people don’t spend a lot of time on the book and if they do, they are looking for allegorical devotional thoughts that they might find. We also reject that position.
The final view is the Futurist view, and that is position we believe. The Futurist view believes that starting with Revelation 4 and through to the end of the book it is all future, it is prophetic. It is telling us what will take place in the future, and they have not yet taken place and they will not take place until after the Rapture of the Church and the Tribulation period begins during that time. Revelation 4-5 are scenes in Heaven of the glory of Christ, but Revelation 6 is where we begin a prophetic picture of the future. That is the Futurist view, and that is the view you will come up with if you take a literal, hermeneutical approach to the book of Revelation.
The Futurist view is the view that we will be using as we go through the book of Revelation.
This is the conclusion for Southern View Chapel Senior Pastor Gary Gilley's Route 66 series. In this episode he explains and recaps how you can use what you learned in this series for long term memory and understanding of Scripture.
Join us as we wind down our path down Route 66 with a review of the entire New Testament. Pastor Gary Gilley reviews all of the key words and key verses for each book in the New Testament.
Key word: Revelation
The last book in the Bible is unique in many ways. Written by the apostle John in his old age, while exiled on the Isle of Patmos, and addressed specifically to seven churches of Asia (modern Turkey), it has been subject to many interpretations. But one thing all agree on is that the book is the Revelation of Jesus Christ (1:1). It showcases Christ in all His splendor in ways no other book in Scripture does. Among other characteristics, Jesus is depicted as the one who is, who was, and who is to come – He has always existed, was incarnated, and is coming again (v. 4). (This description is true in different ways for both the Father and the Son (1:8; 4:8). It is Jesus’ return that is on display throughout the book. When He came the first time He came largely unnoticed, but when He returns every eye will see Him (1:7). He is seen as the Almighty, the Alpha and Omega (v. 8), the first and the last, The Living One, and I was dead and behold I am alive forever and ever (v. 18). When John sees Jesus, he sees Him in all His glory (1:12-16), so, it is no wonder that John fell at His feet like a dead man (1:17). Jesus admonishes John not to be afraid (1:18) and then commissioned him to write this book (1:19). This verse serves as the table of contents for Revelation:
• Things which you have seen (1:1-20) would be the current content found in chapter one.
• Things which are (2:1-3:22) would encompass the message the Lord has for the seven churches which existed at the time John writes.
• Things that will take place after these things (4:1-22:21) here John reveals future events leading up to the return of Christ, including the Tribulation, the Antichrist, the Battle of Armageddon, Christ’s second coming, the final judgment, and the eternal kingdom.
Revelation ends with a simple prayer: “Come Lord Jesus” (22:2). What a fitting end to the completion of the Word of God.
Key verse: Revelation 1:19 – Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things.
Key word: Contend
Jude was the half-brother of Jesus, and full brother of James that wrote the epistle by that name. He sets out to write to Christians in general an uplifting message about salvation (vv. 1, 3), but under the current circumstances found it necessary to appeal to his leadership to stand and contend (our key word) for the faith once for all delivered to the saints (1:3b – our key verse). Jude goes on to write the only epistle in the New Testament dedicated entirely to defending the faith. This defense was necessary because a certain kind of persons have “crept” into the fellowship, bringing with them a potential deconstruction of the faith. The marks of these deceivers were (v. 4): ungodliness. In v. 15, Jude uses this word 4x to describe these people. Their lives are devoid of God and driven by their own sinful desires (v. 16). Secondly, they pervert the grace of God, turning it into a license to sin. Rather than turn from their ungodliness they lived any way they wanted and claimed that God’s grace would permit them to live this way. Third, they went so far as to deny Jesus Christ. By using “Master” and “Lord” before Jesus, Jude may be indicating that these deceivers did not wholesale reject Him, but they rejected His sovereign rule over their lives. In essence they were their own Lord (v. 4).
In light of these warnings how should we live? Three exhortations are given:
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Remember the teaching of the apostles who warned that such people would creep in among them (vv. 17-19).
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Build yourself up in your faith (vv. 20-21). Rather than caving into the pressure of ungodly false teachers, get busy and grow in the faith, love and mercy of Christ. Prayer is commended as one of the means of doing so.
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Reach out to others in Mercy (vv. 22-23). Just as we have received the mercy of God (v. 21), so we should show mercy to those who have yet to come to Christ.
Jude closes with perhaps the most beautiful benediction found anywhere in the Bible (vv. 24-25).
Key verse: Jude 1:3b – I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.
Key word: Walking
Much like 2 John, the final epistle by John emphasizes truth and love. Truth is mentioned 6x and true once, and love is found 3x. But while 2 John focuses on not receiving and participating with deceivers, 3 John focuses on supporting those who speak the truth. As a matter of fact, nothing gives the apostle greater joy than seeing His spiritual children walking in the truth – our key verse (v. 4).
John addresses his letter to his beloved Gaius (v. 1) who apparently was the official leader, perhaps lead elder or pastor of the church. He was a good and faithful man, who has been especially attentive to traveling evangelists, missionaries and church planter, who came through their location. Such people should be financially and spiritually supported in a manner worthy of God (v. 6), for they are ministering for the sake of the Name, and refuse to accept support from the Gentiles (v. 7).
But Gaius’ local church was facing a major conflict. A power-hungry man by the name of Diotrephes rejected John’s authority, slandered him, refused to accept or aid the traveling missionaries, bullied those who did, even to the point of removing them from the church (v. 10). If John can get to the church, he will deal with Diotrephes, but in the meanwhile Gaius, and the rest of the church, should not follow Diotrephes’ example, but should imitate men like Demetrius (v. 12), who like Gaius is a man of truth, and well-respected by everyone.
We are going with the word “walking” as our key word. For although it is found only in v. 4, the idea permeates the whole epistle. Gaius and Demetrius walk in truth, as do the traveling missionaries, however, Diotrephes walks in deception and in self-importance. He loves himself, not Christ, not God’s people, not the truth. The letter is an encouragement to not be like Diotrephes, but to walk in truth.
Key verse: 3 John 1:4 – I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth
Key word: Truth
John writes two very short letters that are placed in the New Testament immediately following his longer letter. There are distinctions between these epistles, but there are also significant similarities. Both emphasize truth, which is found five times in 2 John and seven times in 3 John. Both speak of love and identify true and false love. Both are concerned with how we are to receive those who come to us in the name of the Lord, and here is the major distinction between the two letters. While 3 John talks about who we should receive with open arms and become partakers with the truth, 2 John talks about those we should reject, so that we do not partake in their evil deeds (vv. 7-11).
But before John gets to his main subject, we find that he is writing to a chosen lady and her children. While this lady could be an individual, most believe John is speaking metaphorically of a local church. In the first four verses truth is on John’s mind, and he is glad to find some of these children walking in truth (v. 4). But it is possible that this church has so majored on truth that their love had grown cold and their obedience was selective. So, John reminds her the Lord commands us to love (v. 5), and true love is evidenced by obedience (v. 6). Truth, love, and obedience is a package that must not be separated.
John applies this 3-fold message to a group of deceivers who are spreading a false message that Jesus Christ was not the incarnate Son of God (v. 7). If they are taken in by this heresy, they are not truly Christians (v. 9). Therefore, if these deceivers show up do not receive them, because to aid them is to participate with them in the spread of their false teaching and evil deeds (vv. 10-11). Truth and love are compatible with identifying and turning away false teachers. If we love the truth, we cannot be partakers with those who seek to destroy it.
Key verse: 2 John 1:6a – And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments.
Key word: Know
Twenty-five or so years after the completion of the rest of the New Testament, the Apostle John begins to add 5 inspired books: the Gospel of John detailing the life of Jesus and the foundation of Christianity; three epistles, which inform of faith; and the Revelation, which looks to the future and the conclusion of our faith, as our faith is turned to sight at the coming of Christ and establishing of the eternal kingdom.
The first epistle is an interesting study, as it is filled with repetition of key words that help us understand John’s theme and purpose. Know (or knowledge), appears 35x, love 21x, world 23x and light 6x. John’s burden is that we must know the truth if we are to have the life God intends for us. Our key verse (5:13) sums up this message very clearly.
There are three powerful statements about God, that we must know:
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God is light (1:5), that is, He is the essence of holiness and purity. If we are His people, our life is to be an imperfect reflection of that light.
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God is righteous (2:29; 3:7), that is, God is just and whatever He does is right. Again, our lives should reflect righteousness as His followers.
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God is love (4:8), that is, He relates to people in unselfish compassion and grace, and our lives should too.
John tells us the great hindrance to this understanding of God, and subsequent life that glorifies Him, is a trinity of enemies that seek to keep us in the darkness and living wasted, fruitless lives. These three enemies spring from one sinful source – the love of the world, rather than a love for God (2:15):
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The lust of the flesh (2:16a) desires of our fleshful nature
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Lust of the eye (2:16b) placing value on the superficial
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Pride of life (2:16c) living for selfish ambitions All of these things will perish but the one who does the will of God abides forever.
Key verse: 1 John 5:13 – These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
Key word: Know
Twenty-five or so years after the completion of the rest of the New Testament, the Apostle John begins to add 5 inspired books: the Gospel of John detailing the life of Jesus and the foundation of Christianity; three epistles, which inform of faith; and the Revelation, which looks to the future and the conclusion of our faith, as our faith is turned to sight at the coming of Christ and establishing of the eternal kingdom.
The first epistle is an interesting study, as it is filled with repetition of key words that help us understand John’s theme and purpose. Know (or knowledge), appears 35x, love 21x, world 23x and light 6x. John’s burden is that we must know the truth if we are to have the life God intends for us. Our key verse (5:13) sums up this message very clearly.
There are three powerful statements about God, that we must know:
-
God is light (1:5), that is, He is the essence of holiness and purity. If we are His people, our life is to be an imperfect reflection of that light.
-
God is righteous (2:29; 3:7), that is, God is just and whatever He does is right. Again, our lives should reflect righteousness as His followers.
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God is love (4:8), that is, He relates to people in unselfish compassion and grace, and our lives should too.
John tells us the great hindrance to this understanding of God, and subsequent life that glorifies Him, is a trinity of enemies that seek to keep us in the darkness and living wasted, fruitless lives. These three enemies spring from one sinful source – the love of the world, rather than a love for God (2:15):
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The lust of the flesh (2:16a) desires of our fleshful nature
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Lust of the eye (2:16b) placing value on the superficial
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Pride of life (2:16c) living for selfish ambitions All of these things will perish but the one who does the will of God abides forever.
Key verse: 1 John 5:13 – These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
Key word: Knowledge (known, knowing) 11x
Peter’s second epistle is addressed to the same audience as his first, but now, three years or so later, he has shifted from the subject of suffering to warning. Chapter two rivals Jude as the most intense warning against false teachers, and teaching, found anywhere in Scripture (see 2:1-3). The word destructive, destruction, and destroyed pops up here and will be used by Peter eleven times. What these false teachers teach leads to destruction of lives and to their own judgment from God. No wonder Peter is so concerned. Apparently, one of the false teachings being spread had to do with end times, and chapter three is devoted to that. It would seem that they were denying that at some point the present heavens and earth will cease and be replaced (3:12-13). Peter’s application was that the temporary nature of the present creation should incite us to holy and Godly living (3:11). Rather than live for that which will someday pass away, our goal should be to grow in grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ (3:18).
But before Peter leaps into the warning section of his letter, he lays a foundation in chapter one. There are several planks comprising this foundation:
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We have been supplied everything we need for life and Godliness through the true knowledge of Christ (1:3) (our key verse)
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We are to be diligent about our spiritual maturity (1:5-11).
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We have the certainty of the person and work of Jesus Christ (1:16-18).
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We have the sure word of Scripture which guides into truth (1:19-21).
With this foundation in place we are equipped to defend ourselves against any false doctrines that might tempt to lead us astray.
Key verse: 2 Peter 1:3 – See that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
Key word: Suffering (15x)
Peter is writing in the mid-60s to believers scattered throughout the known world because of persecution for the faith. They may be in distressed now, but these trials will purify their faith (1:6-7). Peter writes to comfort them, but to also call them to action (1:13-16). In light of their salvation, and in the midst of trials, Peter issues five commandments:
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Prepare your minds for action (v. 13a). We need to be ready theologically to know how to live for the Lord under any circumstance.
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Keep sober (v. 13b). This is to be serious minded – to not be flippant about our walk with the Lord.
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Fixing our hope in Christ’s return (v. 13c). Believers who live with realization that Christ will return, live a far richer the meaningful life from those who don’t.
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Do not be conformed to former lust (v. 14). We have been saved out of a life of sin and evil desire – we should not return to that lifestyle.
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Be holy (vv. 15-16). Rather our goal is to be holy, for the one we serve is Himself holy.
The epistle has much to say about salvation as well. For example:
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We were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ (1:18-19).
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Born again through the word of God (1:23).
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Based on Christ, the corner stone (2:6-8).
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Made possible because of the substitutionary death of Christ (2:24) – our key verse.
And because of all this our mission is to proclaim the excellencies of Christ (2:9)
Beginning with 2:13, Peter shows us what a life dedicated to proclaiming the excellencies of Christ looks like:
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Humble submission to God-ordained authorities (2:13-20).
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A God-honoring marriage (3:1-7).
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Harmonious and humble lifestyle (3:8-22).
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Fervent in love (4:1-11, v. 8).
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Sharers in the sufferings of Christ (4:12-19, 13)
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Under Godly shepherding (5:1-6).
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Humble before God (5:6-14, 6)
Key verse: 1 Peter 2:24 – and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
Key word: Suffering (15x)
Peter is writing in the mid-60s to believers scattered throughout the known world because of persecution for the faith. They may be in distressed now, but these trials will purify their faith (1:6-7). Peter writes to comfort them, but to also call them to action (1:13-16). In light of their salvation, and in the midst of trials, Peter issues five commandments:
-
Prepare your minds for action (v. 13a). We need to be ready theologically to know how to live for the Lord under any circumstance.
-
Keep sober (v. 13b). This is to be serious minded – to not be flippant about our walk with the Lord.
-
Fixing our hope in Christ’s return (v. 13c). Believers who live with realization that Christ will return, live a far richer the meaningful life from those who don’t.
-
Do not be conformed to former lust (v. 14). We have been saved out of a life of sin and evil desire – we should not return to that lifestyle.
-
Be holy (vv. 15-16). Rather our goal is to be holy, for the one we serve is Himself holy.
The epistle has much to say about salvation as well. For example:
-
We were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ (1:18-19).
-
Born again through the word of God (1:23).
-
Based on Christ, the corner stone (2:6-8).
-
Made possible because of the substitutionary death of Christ (2:24) – our key verse.
And because of all this our mission is to proclaim the excellencies of Christ (2:9)
Beginning with 2:13, Peter shows us what a life dedicated to proclaiming the excellencies of Christ looks like:
-
Humble submission to God-ordained authorities (2:13-20).
-
A God-honoring marriage (3:1-7).
-
Harmonious and humble lifestyle (3:8-22).
-
Fervent in love (4:1-11, v. 8).
-
Sharers in the sufferings of Christ (4:12-19, 13)
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Under Godly shepherding (5:1-6).
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Humble before God (5:6-14, 6)
Key verse: 1 Peter 2:24 – and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
Key word: Works
James is almost certainly the first book written in the New Testament. James is a common name in the Bible. One of Jesus’ most valued apostles, and the first one martyred, is one example, and must be distinguished from our author, who was the half-brother of Jesus and recognized head of the early church in Jerusalem. Written around 45 A.D., James ministry was exclusively to Jewish believers, so we are not surprised that he addresses his audience as the 12 tribes of Jews scattered throughout the known world (1:1). He begins with the recognition that his readers were facing trials, but rather than getting down about this situation, James calls for joy, knowing that the Lord uses such trials as His instruments to produce maturity (1:2-4). But he does not minimize the difficulty in having such a perspective in the midst of trials, and therefore commands the need for wisdom, which is available to the child of God who asks in faith (1:5-6).
The great burden of this epistle was to show the place and importance of works in the life of the believer. James does not add works to faith. As a requirement for salvation, contrary to some who have misunderstood his message in chapter two. But he highlights the role of works as an evidence of our salvation: when he writes that faith without works is dead (2:17). He means that a supposed faith in Christ, which does not produce the fruit of a changed life evidenced by works, is useless. Such a Christian has no outward evidence of salvation that he can see, and others can not see evidence of our faith either (2:18).
Our key verse is 2:22, which captures the essence of the book. If we are mere “hearers” of the word, but not doers, we delude ourselves. We are to live out God’s word, not just listen to it. Works is our key word – works not for salvation, but works as evidence of our faith is the theme of James. Some have called James the New Testament Equivalent of the Old Testament book of Proverbs. The central theme of Proverbs is wisdom, and wisdom plays an important role in James. It virtually begins with wisdom, and tells us if we lack it we are to call on God and in faith believe that He is able to provide it. In the first chapter, the context was wisdom in the face of trials. It is a wisdom that enables us to mature in Christ, regardless of the circumstances. In chapter three, James returns to the subject of wisdom and distinguishes between two kinds.
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Earthly/natural demonic, characterized by jealousy, selfish ambition (3:14-15). Such wisdom leads to disorder, which is translated as unstable in 1:18, and restless in 3:8. Living by earthly wisdom leads to an unstable life that lacks foundation. It also leads to all sorts of evil, for it is unable to distinguish between right and wrong (3:16).
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Wisdom from above, which is marked by the Fruit of the Spirit (3:17- 18), such wisdom leads to peace (3:18).
Key verse: James 2:22 – You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected
Key word: Works
James is almost certainly the first book written in the New Testament. James is a common name in the Bible. One of Jesus’ most valued apostles, and the first one martyred, is one example, and must be distinguished from our author, who was the half-brother of Jesus and recognized head of the early church in Jerusalem. Written around 45 A.D., James ministry was exclusively to Jewish believers, so we are not surprised that he addresses his audience as the 12 tribes of Jews scattered throughout the known world (1:1). He begins with the recognition that his readers were facing trials, but rather than getting down about this situation, James calls for joy, knowing that the Lord uses such trials as His instruments to produce maturity (1:2-4). But he does not minimize the difficulty in having such a perspective in the midst of trials, and therefore commands the need for wisdom, which is available to the child of God who asks in faith (1:5-6).
The great burden of this epistle was to show the place and importance of works in the life of the believer. James does not add works to faith. As a requirement for salvation, contrary to some who have misunderstood his message in chapter two. But he highlights the role of works as an evidence of our salvation: when he writes that faith without works is dead (2:17). He means that a supposed faith in Christ, which does not produce the fruit of a changed life evidenced by works, is useless. Such a Christian has no outward evidence of salvation that he can see, and others can not see evidence of our faith either (2:18).
Our key verse is 2:22, which captures the essence of the book. If we are mere “hearers” of the word, but not doers, we delude ourselves. We are to live out God’s word, not just listen to it. Works is our key word – works not for salvation, but works as evidence of our faith is the theme of James. Some have called James the New Testament Equivalent of the Old Testament book of Proverbs. The central theme of Proverbs is wisdom, and wisdom plays an important role in James. It virtually begins with wisdom, and tells us if we lack it we are to call on God and in faith believe that He is able to provide it. In the first chapter, the context was wisdom in the face of trials. It is a wisdom that enables us to mature in Christ, regardless of the circumstances. In chapter three, James returns to the subject of wisdom and distinguishes between two kinds.
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Earthly/natural demonic, characterized by jealousy, selfish ambition (3:14-15). Such wisdom leads to disorder, which is translated as unstable in 1:18, and restless in 3:8. Living by earthly wisdom leads to an unstable life that lacks foundation. It also leads to all sorts of evil, for it is unable to distinguish between right and wrong (3:16).
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Wisdom from above, which is marked by the Fruit of the Spirit (3:17- 18), such wisdom leads to peace (3:18).
Key verse: James 2:22 – You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected
Key word: Christ’s superiority
Aside from Romans there is no more theologically heavy, and I would add, rich book than Hebrews. We do not know who wrote it, although there have been many theories. His immediate audience was Jewish Christians in the mid A.D. 60s, and thus were second generation believers. As a result, some had lost the passion for the church and New Testament living and were drifting away – some apparently into Judaism – from which their parents had emerged. Rather than drifting back into an inferior religion, the author encouraged them to press on to maturity – to grow up. But their foundational problem was they had lost the vision of the superiority of Christ. They had not, a least for the most part, abandoned Christ, or ceased to believe in Him. But they had removed Him as central to their lives, and replaced Him with inferior things. So, what they desperately needed was to once again understand the superiority of Christ and embrace it with all their hearts. Thus, the book outlines itself around five ways that Christ is superior to all things:
- He is superior to the law (10:19-13:25). The author, having now laid out the theological foundation, concludes his epistle with an extended applicational section. It begins with the standard “therefore,” followed by a very general summary of the previous 10 chapters (10:19). Since we now have confidence to enter into the Holy Place, that is, the presence of God, because of the blood of Christ (vv. 19b-20), and since Christ now serves as our great high priest (v. 21); we are now exhorted, and privileged, to do three things:
1) Let us draw near (10:22). In many ways this is the theme of the book. Because of the superiority of Christ and His cross-work, we now, as Christians, are invited to draw near to God in faith.
2) Let us hold fast (10:23). We are now urged to hold fast to our confession of hope. But we can only do so because we have hope in One who is faithful. This verse points back to 6:19, which informs us that our hope is an anchor for our souls and is anchored to Christ in His position as our eternal, faithful high priest (6:20). No Christian should ever feel hopeless, for our hope is not in self, or any temporal thing, but in Christ Himself.
3) Let us consider others (10:24-25). If we have the joy of drawing near and holding fast to Christ, we will want others to experience the same joys. We will want to actively seek ways to stimulate others to walk in love and to serve through good deeds. We will look for every opportunity to encourage fellow believers in their faith. Life in this fallen, broken world can be extremely difficult, and we need one another to help us presevere in the faith, which is the subject of the rest of the book. Our key verse will be 4:16.
Key verse: Hebrews 4:16 – Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Key word: Christ’s superiority
Aside from Romans there is no more theologically heavy, and I would add, rich book than Hebrews. We do not know who wrote it, although there have been many theories. His immediate audience was Jewish Christians in the mid A.D. 60s, and thus were second generation believers. As a result, some had lost the passion for the church and New Testament living and were drifting away – some apparently into Judaism – from which their parents had emerged. Rather than drifting back into an inferior religion, the author encouraged them to press on to maturity – to grow up. But their foundational problem was they had lost the vision of the superiority of Christ. They had not, a least for the most part, abandoned Christ, or ceased to believe in Him. But they had removed Him as central to their lives, and replaced Him with inferior things. So, what they desperately needed was to once again understand the superiority of Christ and embrace it with all their hearts. Thus, the book outlines itself around five ways that Christ is superior to all things:
- He is superior to the Old Testament (Levitical) priesthood (4:14-10:18). This long section constitutes the heart of the message found in the book of Hebrews. If these first century Jewish Christians are going to live Route 66 29 Christ-centered lives they must recognize that Christ’s current priestly ministry is vastly superior to the Old Testament system which was a mere shadow of the priesthood of Christ (8:1-5). In chapters 5-7, a truth is introduced that is found nowhere else in Scripture, although it is hinted at in Psalm 110:4. And that is that Christ has introduced, and is now the high priest of a totally new and superior priesthood, not connected with the Levitical priesthood but after the order of Melchizedek (5:6). This means that Christians are not subject to the old covenant of Mosaic law, but have a better hope grounded in Christ (7:19), and look forward to a new covenant (7:22, 8:7-13). What does this mean to us? It means:
1) We have a high priest who can understand and sympathize with our weakness (4:15).
2) We can draw near to God because of Christ’s ministry on our behalf (4:16). This is one of the main themes of this epistle. Under the law people were limited in their access to God, but now they are invited to draw near.
3) Christ intercedes on our behalf, which enables us to draw near and result in our salvation (7:25).
4) Sins can now be completely forgiven (10:10).
A direct application for us is to press on to spiritual maturity (5:11-14; 6:1). Five separate warnings are given throughout the book to those who do not heed this call to maturity. Let us not despise or neglect Christ’s provisions for us.
Key verse: Hebrews 4:16 – Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Key word: Christ’s superiority
Aside from Romans there is no more theologically heavy, and I would add, rich book than Hebrews. We do not know who wrote it, although there have been many theories. His immediate audience was Jewish Christians in the mid A.D. 60s, and thus were second generation believers. As a result, some had lost the passion for the church and New Testament living and were drifting away – some apparently into Judaism – from which their parents had emerged. Rather than drifting back into an inferior religion, the author encouraged them to press on to maturity – to grow up. But their foundational problem was they had lost the vision of the superiority of Christ. They had not, a least for the most part, abandoned Christ, or ceased to believe in Him. But they had removed Him as central to their lives, and replaced Him with inferior things. So, what they desperately needed was to once again understand the superiority of Christ and embrace it with all their hearts. Thus, the book outlines itself around five ways that Christ is superior to all things:
- He is superior to Moses (3:1-4:13). Humans tend to become heroworshippers of other people. We make idols of people we respect. But the Lord will not share His glory with another. When we elevate sinful creatures to forbidden levels, we depreciate Christ and are, at best, distracted from Him. This is what the Jews did with Moses, and the Christian Jews addressed in Hebrews had carried this idolization into their Christian life. Our author’s task was to demonstrate that no matter how great a man Moses was, compared to Christ he was vastly inferior.
1) If Moses was the house, Christ was the builder (3:3).
2) If Moses was a faithful servant, Christ is the Son (3:5-6a).
3) If Moses, and Joshua, led the people to the rest of a promised land (4:8), only Christ can lead us to the full, complete eternal rest (4:9). We enter the door of this rest at salvation, but complete our journey when we enter glory.
4) If Moses was a great leader, Jesus is our great high priest (3:1; 4:14- 16). Moses could physically guide the people to the land of promise, and he could teach them the Lord’s commandments, and set an example of faithfulness. But he could not forgive their sins, and he was not sinless – Christ was. Therefore, we can draw near to God to receive mercy and grace because Christ is our great high priest.
Key verse: Hebrews 4:16 – Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Key word: Christ’s superiority
Aside from Romans there is no more theologically heavy, and I would add, rich book than Hebrews. We do not know who wrote it, although there have been many theories. His immediate audience was Jewish Christians in the mid A.D. 60s, and thus were second generation believers. As a result, some had lost the passion for the church and New Testament living and were drifting away – some apparently into Judaism – from which their parents had emerged. Rather than drifting back into an inferior religion, the author encouraged them to press on to maturity – to grow up. But their foundational problem was they had lost the vision of the superiority of Christ. They had not, a least for the most part, abandoned Christ, or ceased to believe in Him. But they had removed Him as central to their lives, and replaced Him with inferior things. So, what they desperately needed was to once again understand the superiority of Christ and embrace it with all their hearts. Thus, the book outlines itself around five ways that Christ is superior to all things:
- He is superior to angelic beings (1:4-2:18). Beginning with verse 4, and continuing throughout chapter two, the author contrasts Christ with angels. Angels had played significant roles in the history of the world, and specifically Israel. They had even had a part in giving the Old Testament law. So respected were angels that some worshipped them, Gnostics made their worship part of their religion. But Jesus is far better than angels. “Better” is used 13x in Hebrews to contrast Christ and His new order from what had come before Him.
To show just how superior Christ was to angels the author launches into a series of 7 quotations from the Old Testament Scriptures in verse five:
1) He is the Son (1:5), angels are created beings.
2) He is God (1:6-9), angels worship Him (1:6).
3) He is creator (1:10-12), angels are created.
4) He is the supreme ruler (1:13-14), angels are servants.
5) He is the ultimate revelator (2:1-4). As important as the messages delivered by angels was Christ’s message of salvation is far greater.
6) He is the author of our salvation (2:5-16, 10), for people, not angels (v. 16).
7) He is our great, high priest (2:17-18), a position, angels cannot attain or fulfill.
Key verse: Hebrews 4:16 – Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Key word: Christ’s superiority
Aside from Romans there is no more theologically heavy, and I would add, rich book than Hebrews. We do not know who wrote it, although there have been many theories. His immediate audience was Jewish Christians in the mid A.D. 60s, and thus were second generation believers. As a result, some had lost the passion for the church and New Testament living and were drifting away – some apparently into Judaism – from which their parents had emerged. Rather than drifting back into an inferior religion, the author encouraged them to press on to maturity – to grow up. But their foundational problem was they had lost the vision of the superiority of Christ. They had not, a least for the most part, abandoned Christ, or ceased to believe in Him. But they had removed Him as central to their lives, and replaced Him with inferior things. So, what they desperately needed was to once again understand the superiority of Christ and embrace it with all their hearts. Thus, the book outlines itself around five ways that Christ is superior to all things:
- Christ is superior to all former revelation (1:1-3). The Lord reveals Himself and His truth through revelation – general, such as creation and nature, and specific – words spoken through and to prophets and fathers. These revelations were inspired, valuable and essential. But as important as they were, a superior revelation has come – and that is what has been spoken through the Son. The Son inherits all things, created all things, sustains all things, died to provide purification for our sins, and now rules over all things. In addition, He reveals the very nature of God because He is God and perfectly represents Him. Christ is far superior in every way than any spokesman from the past. He is the ultimate communication from God, the Logos as John describes Him (John 1:1).
Key verse: Hebrews 4:16 – Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Key word: Useful
It is unfortunate that those who arranged the order of the New Testament books in our English Bibles chose to put Philemon after Titus, instead of after Colossians. They helpfully grouped all 13 epistles of Paul together in the center of the New Testament, but placed Philemon last, probably due to its size, and comparative insignificance. But it was written to a member of the church at Colossae at the same time Paul wrote Colossians from a prison in Rome in A.D. 62. It is therefore one of the 4 prison epistles, but while the other 3 were addressed to church, Philemon is sent to one individual with a unique problem.
At a time when perhaps a third of the population of the Roman Empire were slaves, a slave, Onesimus, ran away from his master, Philemon, and eventually ended up in Rome. Somehow, he meets up with Paul, hears the gospel, and is converted. Onesimus name means useful, and he is that to Paul (vv. 11-13). But because it is the right thing to do Paul sends him back to Philemon (v. 12). He does not order Philemon to forgive and release his former slave, but Paul argues persuasively for forgiveness, release and returning Onesimus back to Paul, because Paul needs him (vv. 13-14). Another option is for Onesimus to stay with Philemon, but no longer as a slave, but as a beloved brother (v. 16). By doing so, Philemon and Onesimus will be reconciled, will serve Christ together as beloved brothers, will glorify God, and will “refresh” [Paul’s] heart in Christ (v. 20). So, this little letter lays out a pattern for reconciliation between believers when one has wronged another. Our key word is useful, for not only is that the meaning of Onesimus, but it tells the story of a formerly useless man who becomes useful to Paul, Philemon and to Christ. Our key verse then is v. 11. May this verse reflect our lives as well.
Key verse: Philemon 11 – who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me.
Key word: Regeneration
Titus was a young minster, a contemporary with Timothy. Toward the end of his life, Paul writes to these two men to instruct them concerning essentials in the local church. Timothy was ministering in Ephesus, while Titus was on the Island of Crete. There is some overlap between Paul’s first epistle to Timothy and this one to Titus, still a number of essentials for the church of Christ are identified:
• Church leadership – elders (1:5-9). While the list of qualities for elders is similar to 1 Timothy 3, one emphasis stands out – elders must be able to hold fast to the word, teach it (exhort) and defend it (1:9).
• Good deeds: 7 times, and in every chapter, Paul mentions doing good deeds (1:16, 27, 14; 3:1, 5, 8, 14). Good deeds do not save us (3:5) but they should flow out of our redemptive lives (3:1).
• Doctrine: 9 times doctrine or doctrinal related words are found in this little epistle. The church of Christ must be doctrinally sound and living in such a way as to adorn the doctrine of God (1:1, 4, 9, 13, 14; 2:1, 5, 7, 10).
• The doctrine of regeneration is specifically highlighted (3:4-5). Here we learn that the Lord saved us, not on the basis of our good deeds, but on the basis of God’s love, kindness, and mercy. Paul adds that our salvation is accomplished through an act of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit. Regeneration speaks of new life, of what Jesus called being born again. It is the act whereby the Spirit radically transforms us from rebellious enemies of God, into the children of God who are now new creations in Christ (2 Cor 5:17). We, as a result, have a new nature, with new desires, and new capacities. We are now in the process of being transformed by the renewing of our mind and living to the glory of God. Our key word is regeneration and our key verse will be 3:5.
Key verse: Titus 3:5 – He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit
Key word: Scripture
This is Paul’s final inspired letter as he awaits what appeared eminent execution in a Roman prison. This imprisonment was about 5 years after the imprisonment in which he wrote the 4 prison epistles. Since Paul is expecting to die soon, he felt the urgency to prepare the younger Timothy for the ministry without his leadership, thus the letter is full of extremely valuable insights and reminders that Timothy, as well as ourselves need. Let’s highlight just a few of these:
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The gospel (1:8-10). The good news is Christ saved us by grace, through no merit of our own. As a result, He abolished spiritual, and ultimately physical death and brought life and immorality to light.
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A powerful warning of the difficulties facing the child of God due to deceptive teachers (3:1-9).
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The clearest presentation of the inspiration and transforming power of scripture found anywhere in the Bible (3:15-17).
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The biblical methodology of making disciples, starting with accurately handling, interpreting and teaching God’s word (2:15). Then concentrating on those who desire to be faithful servants of the Lord, who in turn will disciple others (2:2).
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Charging us to “preach” the Word, no matter the cost or resistance (4:1-5).
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Ending with the goal of the Christian life as that of fighting the good fight, finishing the course the Lord has set before us, and keeping the faith. Such a life leads to the crown of righteousness (4:6-8).
Our key verse has to be 3:16-17 and our key word will be Scripture.
Key verse: 2 Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
Key word: Scripture
This is Paul’s final inspired letter as he awaits what appeared eminent execution in a Roman prison. This imprisonment was about 5 years after the imprisonment in which he wrote the 4 prison epistles. Since Paul is expecting to die soon, he felt the urgency to prepare the younger Timothy for the ministry without his leadership, thus the letter is full of extremely valuable insights and reminders that Timothy, as well as ourselves need. Let’s highlight just a few of these:
-
The gospel (1:8-10). The good news is Christ saved us by grace, through no merit of our own. As a result, He abolished spiritual, and ultimately physical death and brought life and immorality to light.
-
A powerful warning of the difficulties facing the child of God due to deceptive teachers (3:1-9).
-
The clearest presentation of the inspiration and transforming power of scripture found anywhere in the Bible (3:15-17).
-
The biblical methodology of making disciples, starting with accurately handling, interpreting and teaching God’s word (2:15). Then concentrating on those who desire to be faithful servants of the Lord, who in turn will disciple others (2:2).
-
Charging us to “preach” the Word, no matter the cost or resistance (4:1-5).
-
Ending with the goal of the Christian life as that of fighting the good fight, finishing the course the Lord has set before us, and keeping the faith. Such a life leads to the crown of righteousness (4:6-8).
Our key verse has to be 3:16-17 and our key word will be Scripture.
Key verse: 2 Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
Key word: Church
Paul’s final 4 inspired letters are all written to individuals, rather than churches. The two letters to Timothy, and the one to Titus, are written toward the end of his life as he is contemplating handing over the work of the ministry to a younger generation. Timothy had apparently been converted under Paul’s ministry (1:2), and had traveled with Paul and served in many locations and in many ways. When Paul sends Timothy to the Philippians, he tells them that there was no one better than Timothy to come and aid them (Philippians 2:19-23). As Paul writes this letter to Timothy around 64-65 A.D. Timothy was pastoring the church at Ephesus. The apostle wanted to give to Timothy, in written form, instructions on how a local church is to function. As such, Paul is concerned about the teaching of sound doctrine, a subject he turns to time and again. But the goal was not just knowledge, but was intensely practical. In 1:5, he states clearly that the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” On the negative side, warnings about false teachers are found throughout the letter. As a matter of fact, this is the first thing on Paul’s agenda (1:3-4). In a detailed section (4:1-5) he calls these false teachings the “doctrines of demons” perpetrated by deceitful spirits (4:1).
A unique feature of the book, found only here and in Titus, is listing of the qualifications for elders (3:1-7), as well as deacons (3:8-13). His purpose in writing these things is so that Timothy, and all of us by extension, can “know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God” (3:15). We will make the latter half of this verse our key verse. The theme of the letter is the functioning of the local church, and it’s key task is to be the pillar and support of the truth.
Key verse: 1 Timothy 3:15b – which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.
A brief pit stop before continuing our walk through the New Testament, in this episode Pastor Gary Gilley examines the differences between the Rapture and the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He also discusses why this distinction is important to make.
Key word: Second Coming
Apparently, Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians did not answer all their questions about the return of Christ. They now had a handle on the rapture – the next event on God’s prophetic time table to be Christ returning in the air and catching up His people to Himself and returning to heaven. Seven years later Christ returns – but this time in judgment on unbelievers. Paul called this the Day of the Lord in 1 Thessalonians 5. This did not compute well in the Thessalonians’ minds, and so, Paul returns to that theme in this second epistle. The purpose of the Second Coming is clear in 1:7-10. This will be an awful day of judgment, leading to “eternal destruction” (v. 9).
But there was still one more issue – the timing. Some seemed concerned that they might be caught off guard and have to endure the residual effects of the Day of the Lord. So, in chapter two Paul details three events that will take place before Christ returns:
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A worldwide apostasy (2:3). “Apostasy” means falling away and normally refers to abandoning God’s truth. Therefore, there will be a complete turning from truth – possible coming in the wake of the rapture.
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Revealing of the man of lawlessness, who we usually call the antichrist (2:3). This is one who will set himself up as God and demand worship (2:4).
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The removal of the restrained (2:6-7. Only the Lord has such power so, most likely then is a reference to the rapture and the removal of the Holy Spirit indwelt Christians.
Fear the antichrist, for the Lord will slay him with just a word (2:8). Our key phrase is the Second Coming, and our key verse is 1:9, which serves as a powerful reminder of the fate of the lost, and the importance of proclaiming to them the gospel before it is too late.
Key verse: 2 Thessalonians 1:9 – These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,
Key word: Return
About 10 years prior to writing the prison epistles, Paul writes his first two inspired letters to the church at Thessalonica, which is in Northern Greece, or Macedonia (around 52 A.D.) Paul was thrilled by these believers who had turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God (1:9). This is one of the clearest examples in the New Testament of true conversion (see Acts 26:18, 20). Salvation is not consenting to some theological facts about Jesus and the crucifixion, it is turning from that which we used to worship to Christ by faith, resulting in serving Him.
But in the very next verse, Paul launched into his overarching theme throughout both epistles – the return of Christ (1:10). The return of Christ is mentioned in every chapter in both books, because apparently there was some major confusion about this event. In 1 Thessalonians there was concern that Christ was not actually going to return, or that He had secretly come back and they had missed out. To comfort them, as well as inform them of the truth, Paul crystalized this doctrine in 4:13-18 where he describes the rapture (a word we get from the Latin for “caught up” in v. 17). They had no reason to grieve, for the Lord was yet to come, and when He comes He will draw both the dead and living saints to meet Him in the air and take them back to heaven to be with Him forever. Therefore, they could be comforted by these truths (v. 18). Paul distinguishes this event from the Day of the Lord, or Second Coming in 5:1-11. The Second Coming will begin with judgment on those who have rejected Christ, but the believer is not destined for wrath (5:9) and need not fear it. They should actually be encouraged (5:11). The take away or understanding Eschatology should be that we encourage and build up one another (5:11), our key verse.
Key verse: 1 Thessalonians 5:11 – Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.
Key word: Complete
Written to the church at Colossae in Southern Asia, modern day Turkey, while Paul was a prisoner in Rome around 62 A.D., it is more concerned about false teaching than Philippians and Ephesians. And whereas the Galatian churches were being infiltrated by false gospels, the Colossian church was being inundated with faulty philosophies, which were distracting them from the supremacy of Christ. We see these interrelated themes in the first two chapters, which comprise the doctrinal portion of the epistle. In chapter one, the preeminence of Christ is showcased. He is:
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The very image of the invisible God (v. 15).
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The firstborn of all creation (v. 15).
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The creator of all things (vv. 16-17).
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The head of the church (v. 18).
Over all, in this small letter, Christ is directly referenced a total of 77 times. He is definitely the central focus of the book.
But chapter two reveals that serious philosophical and theological errors were distracting the believers from the centrality of Christ. The concern is summarized in 2:8, but there were at least 4 enemies of the truth found in Colossae church.
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Traditions of men were replacing the Word of God (2:8-10).
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Fixating on rituals instead of Christ (2:16-17).
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Mysticism (2:18-19) was being relied upon in place of Christ.
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Asceticism mistaken for spiritual life (2:20-23).
Instead of embracing these distractions they should do five things:
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Keep seeking things above (3:1).
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Set your mind on things above (3:2).
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Consider yourself dead to sin (3:5).
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Put aside sin (3:8).
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Put on Godliness (3:12-14).
The great news found in Colossians is that because of Christ, we have been made complete, our key word (2:10). Our great challenge is to set our minds on the things above – 3:2 key verse.
Key verse: Colossians 3:2 – Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.
Key word: Complete
Written to the church at Colossae in Southern Asia, modern day Turkey, while Paul was a prisoner in Rome around 62 A.D., it is more concerned about false teaching than Philippians and Ephesians. And whereas the Galatian churches were being infiltrated by false gospels, the Colossian church was being inundated with faulty philosophies, which were distracting them from the supremacy of Christ. We see these interrelated themes in the first two chapters, which comprise the doctrinal portion of the epistle. In chapter one, the preeminence of Christ is showcased. He is:
-
The very image of the invisible God (v. 15).
-
The firstborn of all creation (v. 15).
-
The creator of all things (vv. 16-17).
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The head of the church (v. 18).
Over all, in this small letter, Christ is directly referenced a total of 77 times. He is definitely the central focus of the book.
But chapter two reveals that serious philosophical and theological errors were distracting the believers from the centrality of Christ. The concern is summarized in 2:8, but there were at least 4 enemies of the truth found in Colossae church.
-
Traditions of men were replacing the Word of God (2:8-10).
-
Fixating on rituals instead of Christ (2:16-17).
-
Mysticism (2:18-19) was being relied upon in place of Christ.
-
Asceticism mistaken for spiritual life (2:20-23).
Instead of embracing these distractions they should do five things:
-
Keep seeking things above (3:1).
-
Set your mind on things above (3:2).
-
Consider yourself dead to sin (3:5).
-
Put aside sin (3:8).
-
Put on Godliness (3:12-14).
The great news found in Colossians is that because of Christ, we have been made complete, our key word (2:10). Our great challenge is to set our minds on the things above – 3:2 key verse.
Key verse: Colossians 3:2 – Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.
Key word: Joy
The epistle to the Philippian church has a more relaxed feel than that to the sin-laced Corinthians, the gospel-diluting Galatians, and the doctrinally-heavy Ephesians. There seems to be no major doctrinal issue at Philippi, unless it was some confusion over the nature of the incarnation. And no outstanding sins, which needed correction, except for that fact that they were having a problem getting along. As a matter of fact, unity is one of two major themes running through the letter. We see this need for unity best in 2:1-2. The remedy for disunity is having the attitude of Christ (2:5), which was that of a humble servant. The opposing attitudes are mentioned in the letter: selfcenteredness (2:21), and Christ-centeredness (1:21), which will be our key verse.
There is another theme found in the epistle – that of joy. The words “joy” or “rejoice” are used 17 times in this little letter. But Paul’s joy was not found in creature comforts – after all, he was a prisoner in Rome. But he rejoices because the gospel is being proclaimed (1:18), because the Lord uses him (1:25), when he witnesses harmony in the church (2:2), when they maintain doctrinal purity (3:1), in his fellowship with fellow believers (4:1), when God’s people are living in relational and personal peace (4:4, 5-9). Conflict, either outward or inward robs us of joy and peace. Therefore, Paul calls on the Philippian believers to lay aside their anxiety, let their minds dwell in the virtues of Christ, and practice the lifestyle Paul had modeled for them (4:5-9).
Paul closes by rejoicing in God’s financial provisions for both himself and the Philippian church. Joy is found in Christ and the strength He provides (1:21, 4:13).
Key verse: Philippians 1:21 – For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Key word: Joy
The epistle to the Philippian church has a more relaxed feel than that to the sin-laced Corinthians, the gospel-diluting Galatians, and the doctrinally-heavy Ephesians. There seems to be no major doctrinal issue at Philippi, unless it was some confusion over the nature of the incarnation. And no outstanding sins, which needed correction, except for that fact that they were having a problem getting along. As a matter of fact, unity is one of two major themes running through the letter. We see this need for unity best in 2:1-2. The remedy for disunity is having the attitude of Christ (2:5), which was that of a humble servant. The opposing attitudes are mentioned in the letter: selfcenteredness (2:21), and Christ-centeredness (1:21), which will be our key verse.
There is another theme found in the epistle – that of joy. The words “joy” or “rejoice” are used 17 times in this little letter. But Paul’s joy was not found in creature comforts – after all, he was a prisoner in Rome. But he rejoices because the gospel is being proclaimed (1:18), because the Lord uses him (1:25), when he witnesses harmony in the church (2:2), when they maintain doctrinal purity (3:1), in his fellowship with fellow believers (4:1), when God’s people are living in relational and personal peace (4:4, 5-9). Conflict, either outward or inward robs us of joy and peace. Therefore, Paul calls on the Philippian believers to lay aside their anxiety, let their minds dwell in the virtues of Christ, and practice the lifestyle Paul had modeled for them (4:5-9).
Paul closes by rejoicing in God’s financial provisions for both himself and the Philippian church. Joy is found in Christ and the strength He provides (1:21, 4:13).
Key verse: Philippians 1:21 – For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Key word: Riches
Paul was a prisoner, because of the gospel, in Rome around 62 A.D. At that time, he wrote four inspired letters – three to churches and one to an individual. These letters are now known as the prison epistles, and Ephesians is the first. Ephesus was a very important Roman city located in modern day Turkey. The church was founded by Paul on his second missionary journey. Paul stayed 3 years at Ephesus, longer than any other place, preaching the gospel and teaching the truth, so that Ephesus became the hub of Christianity in Asia and in much of the Roman Empire. Later, both Timothy and John would minister there; Paul called the Ephesian elders to his location for final instructions before his imprisonment (Acts 20) and it was the first church addressed in Revelation (of seven) (Revelation 2).
Not only was the church important, so was the epistle’s message – perhaps the most valuable of any letter except for Romans. Ephesians follows a normative pattern of Paul’s in which he begins with theology and concludes with application. This is especially noticeable in Ephesians as the first three chapters lay out essential truths, especially concerning our position and identity in Christ. No command is given in these three chapters except an injunction to “remember” our spiritual condition before salvation (2:11). Everything else in these chapters describe our positions, privileges, and riches in Christ (1:7). Riches will therefore be our key word. In particular, the opening paragraph lists some of these riches: We have been chosen, adopted, redeemed, informed, been given an inheritance and sealed by the Holy Spirit (1:3-14). Chapter two clearly lays out the salvation process: the need: dead in sin (vv. 1-3), God’s merciful provision (vv. 4-7), God’s grace/gift received by faith (vv. 8-9), and God’s purpose – that we might live out the Lord’s masterpiece (v. 10).
The applicational section begins in 4:1 with the word “therefore.” On the basis of our provisions and riches in Christ, how should we live? The final three chapters inform us. Some highlights in this portion include:
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God’s method to equip us for spiritual maturity (4:11-16, esp. vv. 11- 12). Route 66 17
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The importance of putting off our former manner of living, replacing it with the new regenerated self, and being renewed in the spirit of our minds (4:22-24).
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What does such a life look like – (4:24-32)? Living truthfully, without anger, honestly, with wholesome speech, and in kindness.
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We will walk in love, following the example of Christ (5:2).
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We will walk in light (5:8) not darkness.
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We will walk in wisdom, understanding the will of the Lord (5:15-17).
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We will have marriages patterned after God’s design (5:22-33).
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As well as family and personal relationship (5:4-9).
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We will see our need to put on all the provisions of Christ (6:10-18), called here the armor of God, so that we can stand against the schemes of the devil.
With so much material, it is difficult to pick a key verse but 2:8-9 gets our nod, since everything in the book centers around God’s redemptive plan.
Key verse: Ephesians 2:8-9 – For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Key word: Riches
Paul was a prisoner, because of the gospel, in Rome around 62 A.D. At that time, he wrote four inspired letters – three to churches and one to an individual. These letters are now known as the prison epistles, and Ephesians is the first. Ephesus was a very important Roman city located in modern day Turkey. The church was founded by Paul on his second missionary journey. Paul stayed 3 years at Ephesus, longer than any other place, preaching the gospel and teaching the truth, so that Ephesus became the hub of Christianity in Asia and in much of the Roman Empire. Later, both Timothy and John would minister there; Paul called the Ephesian elders to his location for final instructions before his imprisonment (Acts 20) and it was the first church addressed in Revelation (of seven) (Revelation 2).
Not only was the church important, so was the epistle’s message – perhaps the most valuable of any letter except for Romans. Ephesians follows a normative pattern of Paul’s in which he begins with theology and concludes with application. This is especially noticeable in Ephesians as the first three chapters lay out essential truths, especially concerning our position and identity in Christ. No command is given in these three chapters except an injunction to “remember” our spiritual condition before salvation (2:11). Everything else in these chapters describe our positions, privileges, and riches in Christ (1:7). Riches will therefore be our key word. In particular, the opening paragraph lists some of these riches: We have been chosen, adopted, redeemed, informed, been given an inheritance and sealed by the Holy Spirit (1:3-14). Chapter two clearly lays out the salvation process: the need: dead in sin (vv. 1-3), God’s merciful provision (vv. 4-7), God’s grace/gift received by faith (vv. 8-9), and God’s purpose – that we might live out the Lord’s masterpiece (v. 10).
The applicational section begins in 4:1 with the word “therefore.” On the basis of our provisions and riches in Christ, how should we live? The final three chapters inform us. Some highlights in this portion include:
-
God’s method to equip us for spiritual maturity (4:11-16, esp. vv. 11- 12). Route 66 17
-
The importance of putting off our former manner of living, replacing it with the new regenerated self, and being renewed in the spirit of our minds (4:22-24).
-
What does such a life look like – (4:24-32)? Living truthfully, without anger, honestly, with wholesome speech, and in kindness.
-
We will walk in love, following the example of Christ (5:2).
-
We will walk in light (5:8) not darkness.
-
We will walk in wisdom, understanding the will of the Lord (5:15-17).
-
We will have marriages patterned after God’s design (5:22-33).
-
As well as family and personal relationship (5:4-9).
-
We will see our need to put on all the provisions of Christ (6:10-18), called here the armor of God, so that we can stand against the schemes of the devil.
With so much material, it is difficult to pick a key verse but 2:8-9 gets our nod, since everything in the book centers around God’s redemptive plan.
Key verse: Ephesians 2:8-9 – For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Key word: Riches
Paul was a prisoner, because of the gospel, in Rome around 62 A.D. At that time, he wrote four inspired letters – three to churches and one to an individual. These letters are now known as the prison epistles, and Ephesians is the first. Ephesus was a very important Roman city located in modern day Turkey. The church was founded by Paul on his second missionary journey. Paul stayed 3 years at Ephesus, longer than any other place, preaching the gospel and teaching the truth, so that Ephesus became the hub of Christianity in Asia and in much of the Roman Empire. Later, both Timothy and John would minister there; Paul called the Ephesian elders to his location for final instructions before his imprisonment (Acts 20) and it was the first church addressed in Revelation (of seven) (Revelation 2).
Not only was the church important, so was the epistle’s message – perhaps the most valuable of any letter except for Romans. Ephesians follows a normative pattern of Paul’s in which he begins with theology and concludes with application. This is especially noticeable in Ephesians as the first three chapters lay out essential truths, especially concerning our position and identity in Christ. No command is given in these three chapters except an injunction to “remember” our spiritual condition before salvation (2:11). Everything else in these chapters describe our positions, privileges, and riches in Christ (1:7). Riches will therefore be our key word. In particular, the opening paragraph lists some of these riches: We have been chosen, adopted, redeemed, informed, been given an inheritance and sealed by the Holy Spirit (1:3-14). Chapter two clearly lays out the salvation process: the need: dead in sin (vv. 1-3), God’s merciful provision (vv. 4-7), God’s grace/gift received by faith (vv. 8-9), and God’s purpose – that we might live out the Lord’s masterpiece (v. 10).
The applicational section begins in 4:1 with the word “therefore.” On the basis of our provisions and riches in Christ, how should we live? The final three chapters inform us. Some highlights in this portion include:
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God’s method to equip us for spiritual maturity (4:11-16, esp. vv. 11- 12). Route 66 17
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The importance of putting off our former manner of living, replacing it with the new regenerated self, and being renewed in the spirit of our minds (4:22-24).
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What does such a life look like – (4:24-32)? Living truthfully, without anger, honestly, with wholesome speech, and in kindness.
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We will walk in love, following the example of Christ (5:2).
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We will walk in light (5:8) not darkness.
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We will walk in wisdom, understanding the will of the Lord (5:15-17).
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We will have marriages patterned after God’s design (5:22-33).
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As well as family and personal relationship (5:4-9).
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We will see our need to put on all the provisions of Christ (6:10-18), called here the armor of God, so that we can stand against the schemes of the devil.
With so much material, it is difficult to pick a key verse but 2:8-9 gets our nod, since everything in the book centers around God’s redemptive plan.
Key verse: Ephesians 2:8-9 – For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Key word: Gospel
Although there is some uncertainty, Galatians most likely was one of Paul’s first epistles. It is written to a group of churches in Galatia – a region in Asia Minor, or modern Turkey. Unlike the Corinthians who seemed solid in theology if not in practice, the Galatians had some serious doctrinal errors, many of which had to do with proper understanding and the role of the Old Testament law. But even more fundamental was the gospel itself (1:6-9). Someone had introduced to this church a gospel message that Paul had not given them. To Paul, this was not an unfortunate spin on the gospel, it was a “different gospel,” a distortion, a contradiction, of the true gospel. Such people are deserving of condemnation. This is perhaps the strongest statement by Paul condemning false teachers. The distortion of the gospel at Galatia had to do with the misuse of the law. Some were claiming the gospel of grace that Paul preached was inadequate, and that works of the law must be added to faith to obtain salvation, which is stated clearly in 2:16 three times. He states in a positive manner how he lives his life and his life is focused in our key verse 2:20.
Yet living for Christ is not a walk in the park – actually it should be a walk in the Spirit – a subject Paul covers well in 5:16-26. Here he confirms our ongoing struggle with the flesh, yet by walking in the Spirit we will not hand the victory to the flesh (5:16). Instead, the fruit of the Spirit will be produced in our lives (5:22-23). And so, an epistle, which begins with condemnation of false teachers, and continues by correcting those who misuse the law of Moses, ends on the positive note of walking in the Spirit in such a way that the Spirit transforms the very essence of our being.
Key verse: Galatians 2:20 – I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
Key word: Apostle
Paul’s second inspired epistle to the Corinthians followed the first one within a year. It was necessitated because the first letter was poorly received and the church had deepened its resistance to the apostleship of Paul. While there are many great themes developed in the book, such as comfort (chapter 1), the intermediate state of a believer after death and before the rapture. (chapter 5), the Judgment Seat of Christ (5:10), principles concerning handling money, and especially generous giving to the Lord’s work (chapters 8-9) and battling deception (10-11), it is the defense of Paul’s apostleship which is central throughout the book.
At the heart of the issue is who has the authority to proclaim the word of God? Who is teaching truth? Who should be listened to and obeyed? Someone has the authority to speak and write the inspired word of God. Who is that? Some had arisen in the Corinth church and claimed to be the true apostles and spokesmen for God. In the process they vilified Paul as a fraud (11:4). To these claims Paul had strong words. He says the Corinthians were being deceived, not only about Paul’s authority, but also about his message (11:3). They were in danger of losing the gospel message by following false apostles. Paul does not mince words about what he thought about these teachers: they are false apostles, deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ, when they really are emissaries of Satan, that master of disguises (11:13-15). If they choose to reject Paul’s apostleship and follow the deceivers, they will live their lives in the web of deceit. They must choose to listen to Paul, the true apostle and spokesman for God, if they are to live as God has designed. Our key verse is 11:13, which serves as a warning to us all.
Key verse: 2 Corinthians 11:13 – For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.
Key word: Cross
Paul writes two inspired epistles to the young church at Corinth, which was in southern Greece, due west of Athens. It was comprised of many immature believers who struggled with a variety of sins, from division, to moral issues, to pride, suing one another, to marital problems, and abuse of the Lord’s supper. They were spiritual babies who had not yet broken cleanly from the sinful practices of the world around them. Doctrinally, they were pretty sound, as Paul only addresses one theological concern – the resurrection in chapter 15. The biggest issue of all was their resistance to the apostleship and authority of Paul – we see this even more clearly in Paul’s second letter to them; but we see this in the first chapter (1:1, 12). Because they did not honor Paul’s apostleship, they also did not honor his message. And this was crucial when it came to the gospel. They were fascinated with Greek wisdom and philosophy (1:22). And because they compromised and diluted the true gospel. Paul makes it clear that the message of the cross is foolishness to the unsaved, but for the believer it is the power of God (1:18). For that reason, Paul said his message was not framed in worldly wisdom, but was the simple message of Jesus Christ and Him crucified (2:2). Our faith must not rest on the wisdom of men but on the power of God (2:5). They were trying to impress the world by engaging philosophically with them. But Paul informed them that the unbeliever is not impressed with this approach because they cannot comprehend spiritual things – to them it is all nonsense. But things should be different for the Christian because we have the mind of Christ (2:14-16). With all this as a foundation Paul says it was time for them to move out of their spiritual nursery and to grow up (3:1-3). The rest of the book addresses issues in which they needed to mature.
Key verse: 1 Corinthians 1:18 – For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
Key word: Righteousness
The early church was devoted to the apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:42). We find this teaching in the New Testament epistles. The first of these epistles in order and in importance is Romans. Romans is surely the queen foremost of the epistles. It is the deepest, best systematized of the letters, and most theological, not to mention the longest. It was written by the Apostle Paul around A.D. 58 to the church at Rome, a church he had neither founded nor visited. He, therefore, had few personal relationships with the Christians there and kept his teaching general and applicable to Christians everywhere and for all times. Romans is the first of three letters based upon one Old Testament verse – Habakkuk 2:4b – “The just shall live by faith” (1:17). The key word describes the theme of Romans: righteousness and the key verse (1:16) tells us that the Gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.
The book can be nicely outlined by five subjects, all beginning with “s”
• Sin (1:18-3:20)
• Salvation (3:21-5:21)
• Sanctification (6-8)
• Sovereignty (9-11)
• Service (12:1-15:13)
The final major section of Romans might be seen as the application of all that he has written so far (12-16). For convenience we call this section, “service.” It begins with the word “therefore,” which introduces the incomparable twelfth chapter, which calls us to present our bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, and to not be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. All other applications in the remainder of the book bank off these first two verses. The triune commands will determine:
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Our function in the body of Christ (12:3-13).
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How we deal with those who harm us (12:14-21).
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Our response to government (13:1-8).
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Our walk, in love and purity (13:8-14).
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Our attitude toward those who have different preferences and convictions from us (14:1-15:13).
Paul closes the book with personal information and requests. So, he has gotten his readers lost, saved, put on the road of Godly living, taught them the sovereignty of God and sent them out to serve the Lord in a manner worthy of God. What a book.
Key verse: Romans 1:16 – For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Key word: Righteousness
The early church was devoted to the apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:42). We find this teaching in the New Testament epistles. The first of these epistles in order and in importance is Romans. Romans is surely the queen foremost of the epistles. It is the deepest, best systematized of the letters, and most theological, not to mention the longest. It was written by the Apostle Paul around A.D. 58 to the church at Rome, a church he had neither founded nor visited. He, therefore, had few personal relationships with the Christians there and kept his teaching general and applicable to Christians everywhere and for all times. Romans is the first of three letters based upon one Old Testament verse – Habakkuk 2:4b – “The just shall live by faith” (1:17). The key word describes the theme of Romans: righteousness and the key verse (1:16) tells us that the Gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.
The book can be nicely outlined by five subjects, all beginning with “s”
• Sin (1:18-3:20)
• Salvation (3:21-5:21)
• Sanctification (6-8)
• Sovereignty (9-11)
• Service (12:1-15:13)
The fourth section of the book of Romans details the sovereignty of God using Israel as the object lesson (9-11). Having just affirmed that there is nothing that can separate the child of God from the love of God, someone might ask -- but what about Israel? The Old Testament records both God’s love for Israel and Israel’s frequent rebellion against God. Paul uses this situation as exhibit “A” in his argument. If anyone deserved to be kicked out of God’s love it would be Israel. Yet, the Lord handpicked Israel to be His, not because they deserved but because of His mercy (9:16). Where Israel has stumbled was in trying to create their own righteousness instead of, by faith, receiving God’s (10:2). It is only those who believe in Christ who will never be disappointed (10:11). It is those who call on the Lord in faith who will be saved (10:13).
Chapter 11 makes it clear that the Lord has not rejected Israel (11:5). Most Jews, at this time, have rejected Christ, but the Lord still has a remnant (11:5). Additionally, Israel’s present hardness has resulted in the reception of the gospel by the Gentiles (11:11). But we need not worry for God’s gifts and calling are irrevocable (11:29). No wonder Paul closes this section (chapters 9-11) with the great prayer of wonder at God’s unfathomable ways (11:33).
Key verse: Romans 1:16 – For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Key word: Righteousness
The early church was devoted to the apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:42). We find this teaching in the New Testament epistles. The first of these epistles in order and in importance is Romans. Romans is surely the queen foremost of the epistles. It is the deepest, best systematized of the letters, and most theological, not to mention the longest. It was written by the Apostle Paul around A.D. 58 to the church at Rome, a church he had neither founded nor visited. He, therefore, had few personal relationships with the Christians there and kept his teaching general and applicable to Christians everywhere and for all times. Romans is the first of three letters based upon one Old Testament verse – Habakkuk 2:4b – “The just shall live by faith” (1:17). The key word describes the theme of Romans: righteousness and the key verse (1:16) tells us that the Gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.
The book can be nicely outlined by five subjects, all beginning with “s”
• Sin (1:18-3:20)
• Salvation (3:21-5:21)
• Sanctification (6-8)
• Sovereignty (9-11)
• Service (12:1-15:13)
The third major section of Romans deals with sanctification, or how we should live now that we are saved (6-8). We could wrap Paul’s teaching on this subject around three statements:
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We have died to sin (6:2). It often does not seem like we are dead to sin, but positionally we, as Christians, are no longer under the mastery of sin. We have died to its automatic control over our lives. We are now under the mastery of Christ. Therefore, we should consider ourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus (6:11). We now must choose if we want to allow sin to reign in our bodies and obey its desires, or to present ourself to God and His mastery (6:12-13).
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We are dead to the law (7:4a). The law is great at condoning and pronouncing judgment for our sins. But it has no power to help us live for, or grow in Christ. Therefore, we have been released from the law, in order that we might serve in the newness of the Spirit (10:6).
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We are to walk according to the Spirit (8:4). When we are trying to live for the Lord according to our own efforts (the flesh), we will fail because we lack the energy and power to mature. For that we need the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit (8:9).
Key verse: Romans 1:16 – For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Key word: Righteousness
The early church was devoted to the apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:42). We find this teaching in the New Testament epistles. The first of these epistles in order and in importance is Romans. Romans is surely the queen foremost of the epistles. It is the deepest, best systematized of the letters, and most theological, not to mention the longest. It was written by the Apostle Paul around A.D. 58 to the church at Rome, a church he had neither founded nor visited. He, therefore, had few personal relationships with the Christians there and kept his teaching general and applicable to Christians everywhere and for all times. Romans is the first of three letters based upon one Old Testament verse – Habakkuk 2:4b – “The just shall live by faith” (1:17). The key word describes the theme of Romans: righteousness and the key verse (1:16) tells us that the Gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.
The book can be nicely outlined by five subjects, all beginning with “s”
• Sin (1:18-3:20)
• Salvation (3:21-5:21)
• Sanctification (6-8)
• Sovereignty (9-11)
• Service (12:1-15:13)
The hopelessness of sin drives us and prepares us for God’s plan of rescue of salvation, beginning with 3:21 and continuing through the end of chapter 5. After getting us lost, the next step is showing us how to be saved. In 3:21-31, the key word is faith. Our natural inclination to our recognition of our lost condition is to figure out how we can solve this problem. What work, or religious rite, or effort can we make to please God? But Paul makes it abundantly clear that none of our efforts are sufficient. It is a gift (3:24) received by faith (3:28). For the Jews who knew their Old Testament, Paul knew he might receive some pushback. So, he offers two of their greatest Old Testament heroes to prove that salvation has always been a gift received by faith: Abraham (4:3), and David (4:6).
But what about the issue of losing one’s salvation? Maybe salvation is initially obtained by faith, but what if we sin too much, or begin to doubt Christ? What then? Paul assures us that if the Lord saved us while we were helplessand ungodly (5:6), sinners (5:8), and enemies of God (5:10), surely the Lord will keep us saved now that we are His friend (5:10 – cp 5:1). We have now been reconciled to God (5:11). And all of this was made possible because of the righteous act of obedience on the part of Christ (5:15).
Key verse: Romans 1:16 – For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Key word: Righteousness
The early church was devoted to the apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:42). We find this teaching in the New Testament epistles. The first of these epistles in order and in importance is Romans. Romans is surely the queen foremost of the epistles. It is the deepest, best systematized of the letters, and most theological, not to mention the longest. It was written by the Apostle Paul around A.D. 58 to the church at Rome, a church he had neither founded nor visited. He, therefore, had few personal relationships with the Christians there and kept his teaching general and applicable to Christians everywhere and for all times. Romans is the first of three letters based upon one Old Testament verse – Habakkuk 2:4b – “The just shall live by faith” (1:17). The key word describes the theme of Romans: righteousness and the key verse (1:16) tells us that the Gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.
The book can be nicely outlined by five subjects, all beginning with “s”
• Sin (1:18-3:20)
• Salvation (3:21-5:21)
• Sanctification (6-8)
• Sovereignty (9-11)
• Service (12:1-15:13)
Starting with sin, Paul builds a case for why we need salvation. Humans have suppressed the truth in unrighteousness (1:18), and therefore justly face the wrath of God. Chapter one and two develop this theme concluding that all people – Jew and Gentile alike, are sinners who have rejected God and His righteousness. Chapter three summarizes what has been taught in the first two chapters and proclaims that all are unrighteous (3:10-11) and fall short of God’s glory (3:23). Therefore, we are in a hopeless and helpless state of sin and have no means of being saved or rescued.
Key verse: Romans 1:16 – For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Key word: Holy Spirit
Acts is Luke’s second contribution to the New Testament. Combined with his gospel, Luke is the most prolific writer of the New Testament Scriptures. The title often assigned to the book is “The Acts of the Apostles” as they spread the good news about Jesus Christ throughout the Roman Empire. Written in the early 60’s, the events recorded begin with the ascension of Christ (1:9), His commission to the disciples (1:8), the Day of Pentecost, in which the Holy Spirit came to indwell the believers and establish the church (chapter 2). The early church devoted itself to five tasks – and these are still ours today: evangelism (2:41), the apostles’ teaching (the Word), prayer, fellowship and the Lord’s Supper (2:42).
Chapter 3-12 records the ministry of the apostles, with Peter being the central figure. He preaches the Gospel, faces persecution, is delivered, works miracles, and in chapter 10 opens the door to the Gentiles for the Gospel.
But others stand out in the first half, including John, Stephen (the first martyr), Phillip who takes the Gospel to the Samaritans, and to the first Gentile convert, and we are introduced to, and read of the conversion of Saul (chapter 9). But beginning with chapter 13, all the attention is turned on Paul, who was not part of the original apostles, but was appointed one by Jesus. Humanly speaking, Paul is the main character because the author of Acts, travels with Paul throughout much of his ministry. Paul would take three major, extensive missionary journeys, making converts and establishing churches throughout Asia and Europe. He desired to take the good news to Rome but was arrested due to Jewish resistance. Roman authorities decided to send Paul to Rome for trial, thus Paul made it to Rome as a prisoner. There, in rented quarters, he proclaimed Christ for two full years. From there, Paul wrote his prison epistles. Since we see the work of the Holy Spirit everywhere, He will be our key word.
Key verse: Acts 1:8 – “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
Key word: “Believe”
The Gospel of John was written some 30 years after the Synoptics, in 90 A.D. By this time new questions and challenges to the person and work of Jesus Christ had arisen, and John writes to address these. As a matter of fact, everything John writes is for the purpose of convincing the reader that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing they will receive life in His name.
John’s gospel, while covering much of the same territory, is also very unique from the Synoptics: for example, John skips over the birth of Jesus narrative but adds Jesus’ first year of public ministry In Judea, that the others skip. Two outstanding features of John should be mentioned. First, it is far more theologically concerned than the others. It opens with a heavy discussion of Jesus being the Word, or the Logos. John also records the seven “I ams” of Christ: He says I am: the Door, the Light, the Bread of Life, Good Shepherd, the Way, Truth, Life, True Vine. In chapters 14-16, Jesus gives the most comprehensive teaching on the Holy Spirit found anywhere in Scripture.
Secondly, John is more evangelistic than other Gospels. Not only does John claim the whole point of the book is to lead us to believe in Christ and find true life (20:30-31), but we are given some of the best accounts of Jesus evangelizing in all the Bible. His conversation with Nicodemus in chapter 3 says that he must be born again to find eternal life. And his discussion with the Samaritan woman is a masterful example of how to witness, as found in chapter 4. Therefore, our key word must be “believe,” for Jesus said over and over again that the human response to the gift of Salvation is to believe. It is summarized perfectly in 1:12.
Key verse: John 20:31 – but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
Key word: “Son of Man”
This Gospel is the longest of the four. It is written by Luke, who was most likely a Gentile companion of Paul. He was a physician, a careful historian and researcher. He is writing his account to Theophilus, a high ranking official, and Luke addresses a second book, Acts to him as well.
Luke gives us more details about the humanity of Jesus than anyone else, beginning with an extended incarnation account (chapters 1-2). He seeks to give an accurate account of the life and ministry of Jesus and presents Him as the perfect God-man who would provide salvation for sinful humanity. We find in our key verse also our key phrase which was used 26 times.
Of note is how often Luke records Jesus praying. Of the 15 times the Gospels record Jesus praying, eleven of them is found in Luke (5:16).
Some unique and powerful features of Luke include Jesus’ conversation with Mary and Martha (10:38-42) in which He commends Mary for choosing the one thing necessary rather than being distracted by the mundane. Also, two of Jesus’ most loved parables are found only in Luke. The first is the Prodigal Son, which showcases the love of God for His people; even when they stray (15:11-32). The second is that of Lazarus and the rich man, life after death, torment in hell, no second chance after death, and the impossibility of the dead communicating with the living. There is also the beautiful story of the disciples on the Emmaus Road (24:13-33) (See vv. 32, 34)
Key verse: Luke 19:10 – “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Key word: Immediately
Mark was a cousin of Barnabas and ministered with him and Paul for a time. However, he became a close companion with Peter and most believe his gospel reflects Peter’s account. It was therefore written to a non-Jewish audience and emphasizes action more than teaching. The keyword is “immediately,” found 42 times. Mark’s purpose is to demonstrate that Jesus Christ was the Son of God (1:1) who had come to give His life a ransom for many (10:45 our kv).
Mark provides no nativity scene but opens with John the Baptist, followed by Jesus’ public ministry in Galilee. The first appearance of Jesus is at His Baptism (1:9-11), followed by His temptation by the Devil (1:12-13), followed by Jesus’ Gospel message (1:15), the kingdom of God is at hand so repent.
Mark records many miracles by Jesus, demonstrating His power and authority over virtually everything: nature (4:35-41), demons (5:1-20), death (5:21-24, 35-43), disease (5:25-34), and rituals (6:1-6a). Yet, while His miracles were signs of His deity most people refused to believe, so that even Jesus marveled at their unbelief (6:6).
A big part of their spiritual problem stemmed back to invaliding the Word of God by their traditions (7:7-8). Their traditions had replaced the Word of God and they were in no frame of mind to listen to Jesus. By chapter 8, the people had misidentified Jesus as a prophet or John, but not as the Christ (8:27-29), but Peter understood (v. 29), from this point on, Jesus is headed to the cross (v. 31). This is the first time Jesus has mentioned His death and resurrection to His disciples.
It is at this point that Jesus makes abundantly clear the characteristics of a true disciple, and its costs and rewards (8:34-37).
Key verse: Mark 10:45 – “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Key word: Kingdom
Of the four Gospels, only Matthew and John were written by apostles, who were eye-witnesses of the life and teachings of Jesus. Matthew was a tax collector before his conversion and we hear little of him in the Gospels, but then the Holy Spirit uses him to be the human author of this important book of Scripture.
Matthew was a Jew, writing primarily to Jews. His task was to demonstrate clearly that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah, the King of the Jews. To that end, he quotes the Old Testament about 130 times and uses the word “fulfill(ed)” 17 times, 4:14-16 is a good example. At the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry in Galilee, we find it was a fulfillment of a prophesy by Isaiah.
Jesus’ initial ministry as recorded in Matthew is two-fold (4:17). First, “repent.” This is consistent with the Old Testament, which constantly told the people to repent in order to be right with God and receive His blessings. Even the Pharisees caught this message and knew the kingdom would not come until the nation repented. The “kingdom of heaven” is a central message in Matthew with the phrase found 32 times. Many view the Sermon on the Mount (5-7) as containing the laws/principles, which govern Christ’s kingdom. The Jews eventually rejected Christ as their king, and the kingdom of righteousness He offered, by chapter 13. There Jesus withdraws the immediate establishment of His kingdom and, in 7 parables, outlines a mystery form of the kingdom that would exist until Christ would return and finally establish His kingdom. That return and kingdom is detailed in the Olivet Discourse (24-25) (see 25:1).
But before Jesus can sit on His throne, He must first be nailed to a cross. Before the kingdom can be established, sin would have to be atoned. The subjects of the eternal kingdom would have to have their sins forgiven and be given the righteousness of God. It would take the substitutionary death and resurrection of the God/Man to accomplish this, and prepare a people fit for the kingdom (27-28). Until that time, He sends us forth to make disciples of all nations (28:19-20).
Key verse: Matthew 28:19-20 – “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
The New Testament begins with four Gospels written by four different men, sometimes call evangelists, because they are witnessing to the Good News about Jesus Christ, they tell us about the life and ministry of Jesus from just prior to His birth to His ascension back to the Father. Almost everything we know about the person and ministry of Jesus Christ is found in the Gospels.
We are given four Gospels because they each approach the life of Jesus from different perspectives, with different emphasis, depending somewhat on their target audience. Broadly: Matthew presents Jesus as the King of the Jews, who has come to offer His kingdom to them upon the condition of repentance. Mark focuses on the servanthood of Jesus, while Luke gives us the most information on the humanness of Christ. John, on the other hand, emphasizes the deity of Jesus. Put together, we have a comprehensive portrait of Jesus Christ, the Son of God who took on humanity, lived on the earth for over 30 years, died, resurrected and ascended.
There is considerable overlap among the Gospels, but especially among the first 3, which are often call the Synoptic Gospels, meaning “similar”. These were all written probably in the AD 60s, all before the destruction of Jerusalem and the scattering of the Jews in AD 70. They stress the humanity of Christ and details His sermons, miracles and parables. There is of course, theology in the Synoptics, but their focus is on what Jesus did, while John is much more theological in nature. John is written some 30 years after the Synoptics and was needed to provide answers to questions the early Christians had.
There are no contradictions between the Gospels but since each looks at events from different angles they see things differently. Put together they provide a rich picture of Jesus Christ our Savior.
In our English Bibles, the Old Testament is comprised of 39 books. The Hebrew Bible has the same books, but groups and combines them differently so that it contains 22 books, the last being 2 Chronicles. The New Testament contains 27 books, and we could group them in 3 or 4 categories. Commonly, the first grouping is history, which contains the four Gospels and Acts; the second is the epistles, beginning with Paul’s letter to the Romans and concluding with Jude, and the final section is visions or apocalypse, which is the book of Revelation.
The New Testament then is laid out in logical order. The Gospels tell us the birth, life, teachings, ministry, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ our Lord. Acts picks up the narrative at the ascension and then moves to the establishment of the church, then follows the ministries of the apostles, as they spread the Gospel and organize local churches throughout the Roman Empire. About half the book follows the life and ministry of the apostle Paul. The next 13 books are inspired epistles, or letters, written by Paul to various churches and individuals. Hebrews through Jude are Holy Spirit inspired letters written by five other men. John writes the final book, the Revelation, which is in essence “The Revelation of Jesus Christ,” as the opening line informs us. But it also reveals God’s future judgments on the earth during a 7-year period we often call the Tribulation. By chapter 19, the Tribulation concludes with the return of Christ, who then sets up His kingdom on earth. The last two chapters describes the eternal state.
So, we have quite a marvelous journey in front of us as we now begin our travels on the second leg of our biblical Route 66 travels. Buckle up, and silence those cell phones, and let’s go.
As we transition from the Old Testament to the New Testament on our adventure down Route 66, we will take a week to review the Old Testament which we have covered so far. Today's review focuses on the minor prophets.
As we transition from the Old Testament to the New Testament on our adventure down Route 66, we will take a week to review the Old Testament which we have covered so far. Today's review focuses on the major prophets.
As we transition from the Old Testament to the New Testament on our adventure down Route 66, we will take a week to review the Old Testament which we have covered so far. Today's review focuses on the wisdom literature provided throughout the Old Testament.
As we transition from the Old Testament to the New Testament on our adventure down Route 66, we will take a week to review the Old Testament which we have covered so far. Today's review focuses on the early history of the nation of Israel.
As we transition from the Old Testament to the New Testament on our adventure down Route 66, we will take a week to review the Old Testament which we have covered so far. Days review focuses on the giving of the law and the origins of our history.
Key word: “You Say”
The Lord had sent the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to encourage the returned exiles to finish building the temple. But spiritually, the people had declined and so 58 years later God sent Ezra to preach truth and the Jews responded well. 12 years after Ezra came to town, Nehemiah appears and under His leadership they rebuild the walls and their spiritual lives. But Nehemiah goes back to Persia for several years and the people once again go into spiritual decline. The Jews maintained their religious routines but their hearts were cold. It was then that the Lord sent Malachi, at Nehemiah 13:4-14, to expose their cold hearts and call them to spiritual vitality.
Malachi, the last book in the Old Testament is the Lord’s final wake up call to His people who so often drifted into spiritual slumber and worse. Malachi uses a very unique approach. 12 different times he quotes the very words of the people, revealing to them how they had lost their way. He introduced these quotes with the words, “You say”, we will look at a few of these that reveal their hearts:
1) They doubted God’s law (1:2). The Lord opens the book with a declaration of His love but they question it and want to know how He has loved them.
2) They dishonored God by going through the motions of worship but giving their ”throw-aways” to Him (1:7).
3) They are bored serving God (1:13).
4) They had sinfully divorced their wives (2:14, cp v. 16).
5) They did not know how to repent (3:7).
6) They had robbed God (3:8). Route 66 57 7) They saw no profit in serving the Lord (3:13-14). They were the types who would say that they tried to follow the Lord but it just didn’t work for them.
Malachi and the Old Testament closes with a command, a promise and a curse.
1) The command (4:4). The Lord goes back to the basics and demands obedience.
2) A promise (4:5-6a). The Lord will send a messenger who will prepare the way for the coming of the Lord (cp 3:1).
3) A curse (4:6b) A warning: The Lord’s coming will nullify the curse (cp Revelations 22:20).
Key verse: Malachi 1:2a – “I have loved you,” says the Lord.
Key word: “You Say”
The Lord had sent the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to encourage the returned exiles to finish building the temple. But spiritually, the people had declined and so 58 years later God sent Ezra to preach truth and the Jews responded well. 12 years after Ezra came to town, Nehemiah appears and under His leadership they rebuild the walls and their spiritual lives. But Nehemiah goes back to Persia for several years and the people once again go into spiritual decline. The Jews maintained their religious routines but their hearts were cold. It was then that the Lord sent Malachi, at Nehemiah 13:4-14, to expose their cold hearts and call them to spiritual vitality.
Malachi, the last book in the Old Testament is the Lord’s final wake up call to His people who so often drifted into spiritual slumber and worse. Malachi uses a very unique approach. 12 different times he quotes the very words of the people, revealing to them how they had lost their way. He introduced these quotes with the words, “You say”, we will look at a few of these that reveal their hearts:
1) They doubted God’s law (1:2). The Lord opens the book with a declaration of His love but they question it and want to know how He has loved them.
2) They dishonored God by going through the motions of worship but giving their ”throw-aways” to Him (1:7).
3) They are bored serving God (1:13).
4) They had sinfully divorced their wives (2:14, cp v. 16).
5) They did not know how to repent (3:7).
6) They had robbed God (3:8). Route 66 57 7) They saw no profit in serving the Lord (3:13-14). They were the types who would say that they tried to follow the Lord but it just didn’t work for them.
Malachi and the Old Testament closes with a command, a promise and a curse.
1) The command (4:4). The Lord goes back to the basics and demands obedience.
2) A promise (4:5-6a). The Lord will send a messenger who will prepare the way for the coming of the Lord (cp 3:1).
3) A curse (4:6b) A warning: The Lord’s coming will nullify the curse (cp Revelations 22:20).
Key verse: Malachi 1:2a – “I have loved you,” says the Lord.
Key word: Lord of Hosts (45x)
Zechariah prophesied at about the same time as Haggai, for the same purposes – to draw the Jews back to the Lord and have them finish the construction of the temple. Haggai preached two messages in the 6th and 7th month, then Zechariah gave his first message in the 8th month, followed by two more prophecies by Haggai in the 9th month. Haggai now steps into the background and Zechariah picks up in the 11th month and continues off and on for two years. In order to encourage them, the prophet has the people look in 4 directions.
1) Backward (1:1-6). He reminds them of their fathers and their great need to “return” to the Lord (1:3).
2) Upward (1:7-2:13). Three months later he gives a series of 8 visions, all on the same day, to detail what the Lord was doing for them now. The desired response is a holy silence (2:13).
3) Inward (3:1-4:10). We are given a beautiful vision of how the Lord removes our iniquity and replaces it with His righteousness (3:2-4). This can only be accomplished through the power of the Holy Spirit (4:6) – our key verse.
4) Forward (7-14). Two years later Zechariah returns. The temple is about half finished and again the people need encouragement. The prophet does this by giving prophecies concerning the future. The big picture is that one day their Messiah will come and they need to be prepared for Him.
In chapters 9-11, Zechariah mostly foretells more immediate events but the Triumphal Entry is prophesied in 9:9. Beginning with Chapter 12 and continuing to the end, the theme is the coming of Christ. The first readers could not grasp this, for Zechariah gives one of the most extensive descriptions of the second coming of Christ found in the Bible. Four great events:
1) War against Israel (12:1-9);
2) Repentance (12:10); leading to forgiveness (13:1);
3) The return of Christ (14:4);
4) The coming of Christ’s kingdom on earth (14:8-21).
Key verse: Zechariah 4:6 – “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord of hosts.
Key word: Lord of Hosts (45x)
Zechariah prophesied at about the same time as Haggai, for the same purposes – to draw the Jews back to the Lord and have them finish the construction of the temple. Haggai preached two messages in the 6th and 7th month, then Zechariah gave his first message in the 8th month, followed by two more prophecies by Haggai in the 9th month. Haggai now steps into the background and Zechariah picks up in the 11th month and continues off and on for two years. In order to encourage them, the prophet has the people look in 4 directions.
1) Backward (1:1-6). He reminds them of their fathers and their great need to “return” to the Lord (1:3).
2) Upward (1:7-2:13). Three months later he gives a series of 8 visions, all on the same day, to detail what the Lord was doing for them now. The desired response is a holy silence (2:13).
3) Inward (3:1-4:10). We are given a beautiful vision of how the Lord removes our iniquity and replaces it with His righteousness (3:2-4). This can only be accomplished through the power of the Holy Spirit (4:6) – our key verse.
4) Forward (7-14). Two years later Zechariah returns. The temple is about half finished and again the people need encouragement. The prophet does this by giving prophecies concerning the future. The big picture is that one day their Messiah will come and they need to be prepared for Him.
In chapters 9-11, Zechariah mostly foretells more immediate events but the Triumphal Entry is prophesied in 9:9. Beginning with Chapter 12 and continuing to the end, the theme is the coming of Christ. The first readers could not grasp this, for Zechariah gives one of the most extensive descriptions of the second coming of Christ found in the Bible. Four great events:
1) War against Israel (12:1-9);
2) Repentance (12:10); leading to forgiveness (13:1);
3) The return of Christ (14:4);
4) The coming of Christ’s kingdom on earth (14:8-21).
Key verse: Zechariah 4:6 – “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord of hosts.
Key word: Consider
The last three minor prophets’ prophecy to the exiles who had returned to Jerusalem after being in Babylonian captivity for 70 years. The Jews who had returned under their governor Zerubbabel and high priest Joshua had as their immediate task to rebuild the temple. The less than 50,000 who returned laid the foundation of the temple but then got discouraged and stopped. Soon they became complacent and went about their daily lives totally forgetting about the temple for 14 years. This apathy toward the temple represented well their apathy toward God. The Lord sends two prophets to shake them up: Haggai and Zechariah. Over a period of 4 months, Haggai preached 4 messages with a central theme: consider (5x). Consider your ways (1:5, 7) and change was Haggai’s message.
They were happy to live in their paneled houses while the house of God, and the worship associated with it, lay in ruins (1:4). The result of the first prophecy was action – they started to build (1:12-15). But then two discouragements arose:
1) They realized this new temple did not compare with the first (2:3).
2) Fear (2:4) perhaps of the resistance of those enemies around them, or perhaps of the critics within them – or both. The message God sent was to take courage for the Lord was with them.
Two months later the Lord sends another message – about purity. Their lives should reflect the Holiness of God (2:10-19). A final message comes later that same day – it is a proof concerning God’s plans for their glorious future (2:20-23). Our key verse is applicable for all times and occasions.
Key verse: Haggai 2:4b – “Take courage, declares the Lord, and work; for I am with you.”
Key word: Renewal
Zephaniah is a descendant of royalty, being the great-great grandson of Hezekiah. He prophesied during the reign of Josiah and comes out firing (1:2). His theme is the “Day of the Lord”, which he references some 20 times. As we have seen in other books, the Day of the Lord includes two distinct periods of time – a day of doom and a day of rejoicing and renewal. In the early going doom is on, Zephaniah’s menu and as we have seen before, the doom/judgment being described is sometimes contemporary and sometimes Eschatological. The coming judgment in this book is contemporary to the times. Despite the apparent, but superficial, revival during Josiah’s reign, the Lord has not been fooled. The Lord will judge the other nations for their rebellion (2:4-15), that is to be expected. But Judah too will face destruction because it has followed suit (3:1-8). Zephaniah holds out one hope during this coming doom – and that it could be avoided if they would humbly seek Him (2:3).
The book, as many of the prophetic books do, suddenly shifts direction at 3:9. The prophet looks to the future and describes the second aspect of the Day of the Lord in the Kingdom Age to come. It can best be described as a day of restoration and renewal (3:14-15, 20). Thus, a book, which begins in gloom, ends with rejoicing (3:14). This is true not because of anything Judah deserved, but because the Lord delights in them, He loves them (3:17). And so, while the Lord hates sin, and will deal with sinners in judgment, His mercy is ever ready to pardon – and He has a glorious future planned for His people. The condition is found in our key verse.
Key verse: Zephaniah 2:3a – “Seek the Lord all you humble of the earth.”
Key word: Faith
Have you ever questioned God and, the way He is handling your life? Have you ever wondered why He allows so many ugly things to take place in this world, things like the death of children, war, famine, injustice, or whatever you are facing today? If so, you are ready for the message of Habakkuk.
We are introduced to the prophet at an extremely low point in His life (1:2). As a man of God, he is deeply troubled by the wickedness of the nation of Judah – God’s people. He is perplexed that the Lord is allowing this to continue and wants to know why. God informs him that He is not passive; as a matter of fact, He is preparing the Babylonians to execute judgment on Judah (1:5-11). But this does not please Habakkuk who wants to know how God could use an even more ungodly nation to discipline Judah (1:12-17) (1:13b).
Having completed his prayer, and more troubled than ever, the prophet does an amazing thing: he waits on the Lord (2:1). He has cast his concern on the Lord, now he will wait to see how He will answer. When the Lord replies, He does not give a detailed explanation, but His admonishing is profound – trust Me. He says, “The righteous will live by his faith” (2:4b). This line becomes the basis for three New Testament books: Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews. In essence, the prophet is being told that while he may often be confused by what he sees in life around him, he nevertheless can live faithfully because he can have trust in a faithful God, for after all “The Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before Him” (2:20).
When the book concludes we find the circumstances surrounding the prophet’s life unimproved, yet he stands firm because the Lord was His strength (3:19). How did he get from a man on the edge of spiritual collapse (1:2), to a man with deep confidence in God (3:19), he went through the door of faith (2:4b), everything hinges on entering through this door.
Key verse: Habakkuk 2:4b – “But the righteous will live by his faith.”
Key word: Faith
Have you ever questioned God and, the way He is handling your life? Have you ever wondered why He allows so many ugly things to take place in this world, things like the death of children, war, famine, injustice, or whatever you are facing today? If so, you are ready for the message of Habakkuk.
We are introduced to the prophet at an extremely low point in His life (1:2). As a man of God, he is deeply troubled by the wickedness of the nation of Judah – God’s people. He is perplexed that the Lord is allowing this to continue and wants to know why. God informs him that He is not passive; as a matter of fact, He is preparing the Babylonians to execute judgment on Judah (1:5-11). But this does not please Habakkuk who wants to know how God could use an even more ungodly nation to discipline Judah (1:12-17) (1:13b).
Having completed his prayer, and more troubled than ever, the prophet does an amazing thing: he waits on the Lord (2:1). He has cast his concern on the Lord, now he will wait to see how He will answer. When the Lord replies, He does not give a detailed explanation, but His admonishing is profound – trust Me. He says, “The righteous will live by his faith” (2:4b). This line becomes the basis for three New Testament books: Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews. In essence, the prophet is being told that while he may often be confused by what he sees in life around him, he nevertheless can live faithfully because he can have trust in a faithful God, for after all “The Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before Him” (2:20).
When the book concludes we find the circumstances surrounding the prophet’s life unimproved, yet he stands firm because the Lord was His strength (3:19). How did he get from a man on the edge of spiritual collapse (1:2), to a man with deep confidence in God (3:19), he went through the door of faith (2:4b), everything hinges on entering through this door.
Key verse: Habakkuk 2:4b – “But the righteous will live by his faith.”
Key word: Against
Have you ever felt that the Lord was against you? For the child of God that can never be the case. He may discipline us but He will never turn against us (Hebrews 13:5). But for the nation of Assyria – a godless, ruthless people, this was not the case. As a matter of fact, twice the Lord declares to the Assyrians that He was against them (2:13, 3:5). What an unbelievable horrifying position to be in. You will recall it was to the capital city of Nineveh that Jonah went 100 years earlier, which repented at the time. Now a century later whatever happened at that time has long been forgotten and Assyria has returned to its wickedness: three things to consider concerning God’s pronouncement that He was against them.
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The cause: Historically we know the Assyrians are among the cruelest empire that ever existed. Human life meant nothing to them, even so, God offers to be their refuge (1:7), but if they refuse He will be their judge (1:8).
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The consequence: Because of their rejection of God, utter ruthlessness, and mistreatment of God’s people (2:1-2), the Lord will ruin them (2:13-3:1). As a matter of fact, their situation is hopeless – for their “wound is incurable (3:19). Nineveh was so completely destroyed that it was not until 1842 that archeologists rediscovered its ruins.
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The cure: Quite frankly, there is not much positive to be found in Nahum. Yet 1:7, our key verse reminds us. Our key word, if we are to be faithful to the text, has to be against. The Lord is against Assyria for its wickedness, and against all those who reject His love. But a “cure” is found in Christ. We can’t help but think of the remedy for our spiritual enmity with God as found in Romans 8:31-32 – “If God is for us, who is against us?” He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us, how will He not freely give us all things?”
Key verse: Nahum 1:7 – “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who take refuge in Him.”
Key word: Listen
Micah as a prophet contemporary with Isaiah who ministered to both Judah and Israel. He has three messages from God to deliver, each beginning with the word “hear”. The first message is to the people of Israel (chapters 1-2) (1:2). It is a warning of coming judgment, a call to repent, and a promise of hope. As a matter of fact, at the end of each sermon is a message of hope (cf 2:12-13).
The second prophecy (chapters 3-5) is directed to the leaders of Israel (3:1). They hate good and love injustice. But even so there is hope, for a kingdom is coming in the last days (4:1-8), and a Savior, born in Bethlehem, will ultimately be its ruler (5:2). This is the best-known verse in Micah and is quoted in Matthew 2:6 and John 7:42.
The final message (chapters 6-7) is actually directed to the mountains (6:2), which will listen to the Lord’s case against Israel. The Lord has two indictments against Israel:
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They have forgotten what He had done for them (6:3-8).
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They had forgotten His requirements (6:6-8). They thought the Lord would be pleased with abundant religious acts. But while they followed the rituals, they missed the heart of God (v. 8). This verse is posted in the reading room of the Congressional Library in Washington, and must be our key verse.
The final chapter begins in sorrow as Micah is a miserable man as he observes the defiance of Israel (7:1-2). But he has hope that the Lord will eventually right these wrongs (7:7). His hope rests, not in his circumstances but in the nature of God (7:18-20).
Key verse: Micah 6:8 – “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord requires of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.”
Key word: Appoint
God appointed Jonah several things to do. His will: a wind, a fish, a plant, a worm, a wind (again) and a prophet. Only the prophet resisted.
Jonah is one of the best-known stories in the Bible. Because of its storyline it has become a children’s classic, but has a sobering message, which is played out in five scenes:
1 The commission of Jonah (1:1-2). Jonah is given a unique calling: a Jewish prophet taking a message from God to a Gentile city. Nineveh was the capital of the evil Assyrian Empire. The Assyrians were destroying nation after nation and had its sites on Israel. Jonah and all Jews hated Assyria, and here is the Lord sending one of His prophets with a message that could lead to repentance.
2 Jonah’s rebellion (1:3-16) The prophet refused to go and actually books a trip to Spain – the opposite direction by all rights God should have brought judgment on Jonah, but instead He has mercy. “Mercy”, is God’s ministry to the miserable according to D. Pentecost. After a storm, Jonah is thrown overboard and swallowed by a great fish.
3 Jonah’s repentance (1:17-2:10) With 3 days in the fish, Jonah has time to contemplate his life, and ultimately realizes his rebellion is wrong and stupid. He now repents and confesses that salvation, both physical and spiritual is of the Lord (2:9).
4 Jonah obeys (3:1-10). God recommissions Jonah and this time he obeys and delivers the message God had given him.
5 Jonah’s heart exposed (4:1-11). When the Ninevites repent Jonah is angry. In his heart, he wished that they would resist and God would destroy them. Now Jonah is also angry with God for being merciful. He would rather die than live like this (v. 3). God rebuked His prophet but the book ends without knowing Jonah’s response. It is almost like the Lord is asking us to conclude the story. But our story ends with our response to Christ.
Key verse: Jonah 2:9 – “Salvation is from the Lord.”
Key word: Appoint
God appointed Jonah several things to do. His will: a wind, a fish, a plant, a worm, a wind (again) and a prophet. Only the prophet resisted.
Jonah is one of the best-known stories in the Bible. Because of its storyline it has become a children’s classic, but has a sobering message, which is played out in five scenes:
1 The commission of Jonah (1:1-2). Jonah is given a unique calling: a Jewish prophet taking a message from God to a Gentile city. Nineveh was the capital of the evil Assyrian Empire. The Assyrians were destroying nation after nation and had its sites on Israel. Jonah and all Jews hated Assyria, and here is the Lord sending one of His prophets with a message that could lead to repentance.
2 Jonah’s rebellion (1:3-16) The prophet refused to go and actually books a trip to Spain – the opposite direction by all rights God should have brought judgment on Jonah, but instead He has mercy. “Mercy”, is God’s ministry to the miserable according to D. Pentecost. After a storm, Jonah is thrown overboard and swallowed by a great fish.
3 Jonah’s repentance (1:17-2:10) With 3 days in the fish, Jonah has time to contemplate his life, and ultimately realizes his rebellion is wrong and stupid. He now repents and confesses that salvation, both physical and spiritual is of the Lord (2:9).
4 Jonah obeys (3:1-10). God recommissions Jonah and this time he obeys and delivers the message God had given him.
5 Jonah’s heart exposed (4:1-11). When the Ninevites repent Jonah is angry. In his heart, he wished that they would resist and God would destroy them. Now Jonah is also angry with God for being merciful. He would rather die than live like this (v. 3). God rebuked His prophet but the book ends without knowing Jonah’s response. It is almost like the Lord is asking us to conclude the story. But our story ends with our response to Christ.
Key verse: Jonah 2:9 – “Salvation is from the Lord.”
Key word: Arrogance
If there is any book in the Bible, which might seem inconsequential, it would be Obadiah. It is the shortest book in the Old Testament. We know nothing about the author except his name (there are 12 Obadiah’s in Scripture); we do not know when he wrote his book, or the special circumstances he is talking about; it is not even addressed to the Jews, instead it is addressed to Edom, descendants of Esau, not Jacob, who lived SE of Judah. Yet, Obadiah has a message for us today.
Although cousins, Israel and Edom were not kissing cousins – they never got along. In addition, while Israel worshipped Jehovah, at least officially and at times, Edom worshipped idols. The two sons of Jacob parted ways not only geographically, but also spiritually. As the years moved on, the day came when the Jews were under attack. This could have been on one of two occasions – around 586 B.C. when Babylon was destroying Judah, or years earlier (around 845 B.C.) when the Arabs and Philistines invaded with great destruction. Either way, while Judah was being devasted, Edom stood aside and even participated in the destruction (v. 14). Edom thought it was untouchable due to their location (v. 3). This was Edom’s great sin – they trusted in Mt. Esau (v. 8) instead of Mt. Zion (v. 17), which represented God. As a result, the Lord will bring them down (v. 4). The central message of the book is addressed to those who in their arrogance thought they were self-sufficient and even invincible. They ask in their hearts, “Who will bring me down” (v. 3c), and the answer is, God will (v. 4c). Arrogance deceives us into believing in ourselves. Humility directs us to trust in God.
This is a book about the consequences of pride and arrogance and therefore our key word is arrogance and our key verse v. 3a. May we learn from Edom’s example.
Key verse: Obadiah 1:3a – “The arrogance of your heart has deceived you.”
Key word: Prepare
One of Israel’s last kings was Jeroboam II. Under his leadership, the nation reached its zenith militarily and economically. The people experienced a wide level of prosperity and peace. But as is often the case, prosperity led to disastrous spiritual consequences. Instead of humble thanksgiving to God, they congratulated themselves and sank into a life of luxury, cruelty and deceit. To such a people, God sent a shepherd/farmer with a message. Amos was not a prophet, but for a brief moment, he stepped out of his country lifestyle to warn Israel that their sins had not gone unnoticed by the Lord, despite their prosperous circumstances.
Israel compared itself with the nations around them and came off looking good (chapters 1-2). Being self-deceived, Israel needed God to tick off their sins such as harming the poor, immorality, idolatry, rejection of God’s word (2:6-12). They had become so hardened by sin that they no longer knew how to do right (3:10). Through prophets such as Amos, God called the nation to repentance, “Yet you have not returned to Me”, declares the Lord, repeated five times in chapter four (4:6, 8, 9, 10, 11). Therefore, because they refused to return to God, they must now “prepare to meet your God” (4:12). No longer would they encounter God’s judgments indirectly, they will now have to face God Himself. And just in case they did not understand the severity of the situation, Amos reminds them of the greatness of God (4:13).
The remedy to their spiritual mess and its consequence is simple and direct, although often resisted. It is found in our key verse (see also 5:4, 14). Israel had deceived themselves into thinking they were pretty spiritual when all along they were seeking self-pleasure and pursuing sinful behavior to that end. Amos message is to the point: return to the Lord and seek Him if you want real life. If you do not, prepare to meet your God.”
Key verse: Amos 5:6 – “Seek the Lord that you may live.”
Key word: “Day of the Lord”
Joel is a little book with a powerful impact on the prophetic understanding. That is because it is wrapped around what is call “the Day of the Lord”, referenced directly five times (1:11, 15, 22, 31, 3:14) and alluded to a few other times (see 3:1). In a general sense, the day of the Lord is used to describe a time of judgment, destruction and doom, throughout the Old Testament. That is how Joel begins, describing a coming locust infestation coming on Judah for its continual rebellion against the Lord (1:1-2:17). See 1:15. Yet with all the doom and gloom of this coming judgment, there was time to alter its course. If the people would truly repent (2:12-13). Judgment would be averted.
Beginning with 2:18, Joel turns to the future and describes a glorious future that would be the Kingdom Age. This too is described as the Day of the Lord (2:28-31). This text receives a lot of attention because Peter quotes it in his sermon on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2. But as Joel 3:1-2 indicates, these events are not fulfilled at Pentecost, or in the Church Age, but awaits the end times.
The great and awesome Day of the Lord (2:31) being described is a future event which comes in three stages:
1) The Tribulation – a 7-year period of time of unprecedented judgment on the earth.
2) The return of Christ as the rightful king over the whole earth.
3) The Millennial Kingdom on the earth with Jesus sitting on the throne of David ruling the whole earth. Our key verse reminds us of this great future the Lord has determined for His people. How we look forward to this wonderful day.
Key verse: Joel 2:28 – “It will come about after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind.”
Key word: Faithfulness
We begin our travel today through the most neglected portion of Scripture – the minor prophets. This collection of 12 Old Testament books (known as the twelve by the Jews) are minor only in the sense that they are shorter, not that they lack significance. Each book has a unique perspective to offer the reader, and Hosea starts us on our journey.
Hosea is the last prophet to address the nation of Israel before Israel fell in 721 B.C. to the Assyrians. The first three chapters illustrates the Lord’s relationship with Israel through the tragic marriage of the prophet Hosea and his wife Gomer. The Lord commands Hosea to marry a prostitute and have children by her (1:2). The hope at this point is that Gomer would recognize that she had been rescued from a life of sin and degradation and become a faithful and loving wife to her husband. But it was not to be. She was drawn to her former life of immorality and returned to it (2:5b). But Hosea does not give up on her. By Chapter 3, Gomer has apparently sold herself as a slave prostitute, but he goes to the salve market and purchases her, takes her home, and demands faithfulness (3:2-3). But it was ultimately not to be, and she returns to her sinfulness.
The story serves as an accurate picture of what Israel has done to the Lord. Despite the Lord’s deliverance of Israel from slavery, and the many blessings bestowed on her, Israel proved incurably unfaithful. The rest of the book fleshes out both Israel’s sins and rebellion, and God’s undying love for her. As bad as she was, the Lord could not let her go. She was unfaithful but the Lord remained faithful.
Which is harder – to demonstrate faithful love to a loving spouse, or to an unfaithful one? The Lord shows us what true loving faithfulness looks like. Therefore 6:6a is our key verse (cp 1 Samuel 15:22).
Key Verse: Hosea 6:6a – “For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice.”
After concluding our look at the Book of Daniel, Pastor Gilley takes a fourth "pit stop" on our "Biblical Route 66" to summarize everything we've discussed so far.
Key word: Sovereignty
The book of Daniel is a fascinating Old Testament book, and one of the best-known books in the Bible. It is known on the one hand because its marvelous stories of God’s protection and providence, which has thrilled children and adults alike for generations. Who hasn’t heard of Shadrack, Meshach and Abednego’s rescue from the fiery furnace (3:1-18), Daniel’s rescue from the Lion’s Den (6:1-28) and the hand writing on the wall informing Belshazzar that, well, the hand writing was on the wall for him, and doom was approaching. In all of these accounts, and some lesser known ones, we witness the sovereign work of God.
But Daniel is also known for its prophecies: Nebuchadnezzar’s fate (4:1- 37), the coming of four great kingdoms of Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome (2:1-43), and ultimately God’s kingdom (2:44-45) (see also chapters 7-8). Then there are the great end-time prophecies of chapter 9-12. The most celebrated and studied of these prophecies is Daniel’s 70 weeks (9:24-27), which provides the accurate time-table for the coming and death of Christ, as well as the outline of the Tribulation period and the reign of the Antichrist. Even the clearest teaching in all of the Old Testament on the resurrection from the dead is here (12:1-12). This is an incredible book.
But in all of its diversity one thread runs through it all – the sovereign hand of God. Whether the Lord is rescuing His people, humbling monarchs, or prophesying the future, we find Him totally in control of all things. Nothing happens apart from His providence and will.
Key verse: Daniel 4:17b – “The Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind.”
Key word: Son of Man (found 91x)
Unlike Isaiah and Jeremiah, the other two major prophets who prophesied prior to exile, Ezekiel is already in exile and writing back to those still in the Holy Land and to those who were already in exile. Babylon invaded Judah and Jerusalem in three waves, carrying off exiles each time. Ezekiel was taken during the second wave around 598 B.C. While Jeremiah is pleading with the Jews to repent from his home base in Judah, Ezekiel did the same from exile also prophesied of the future restoration of Israel. Daniel, by the way is taken in the first wave of deportation and ministered in Babylon itself.
The book is filled with visions and object lessons, both used to communicate God’s message of repentance and hope. But the overarching message is so “they will know that I am the Lord” (6:7) found about 70 times (see 6:10, 13-14). Somehow the Jews had lost that message and Ezekiel’s task was to teach it again.
Ezekiel also contains some of the most encouraging, if hard to interpret prophecies describing future restoration for Israel. In particular is the vision of the valley of dry bones in Chapter 37, the end times battle of Gog and Magog. The book ends with chapters 40-48 and a description of a future temple that will be erected and used during the Kingdom Age.
While Ezekiel, much like the other prophetic books, offers much in the way of judgment on a godless people, it also holds out a great future hope. Our key verse expresses it well, Ezekiel 36:26 and he goes on to promise, “And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”
Key verse: Ezekiel 36:26 – “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you.”
Key word: Lament
Lamentations is the short follow-up book written by Jeremiah at the time of the fall of Jerusalem around 586 B.C. It is exactly what the title claims it to be – a lament, an expression of great sorrow over the awful judgment and destruction of Judah and Jerusalem due to the unrepentant defiance by the Jews in Jerusalem. The prophet is crushed, heart broken over the desolation of the land and people he loved.
Right in the middle of Jeremiah’s cries we find an oasis of hope. By 3:17, Jeremiah could find no peace or happiness. By v. 18, his strength and hope are gone. He is finding himself becoming bitter toward the Lord (vv. 8, 12-16, esp v. 14). As he reflected on his growing despair and bitterness (v. 19), the tide turns as he begins to meditate on God rather than his sorrows (v. 20). As he does, hope returns (v. 21), especially as he recalls the true nature of God. The Lord is filled with endless lovingkindnesses (v. 22). His compassions never cease, even when we have lost sight of them (v. 22) His faithfulness is beyond measure (v. 23).
As he reflects further on all this, he is conscious that it is the Lord who is his portion – that which he really needs (v. 24), and therefore, hope has returned for the Lord is good to those who wait on Him and seek Him (v. 25).
Our key verse is 3:22-23. So, while our key word is lament, the great take away from the book is the faithfulness of God.
Key verse: Lamentations 3:22-23 – “The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”
Key word: Return (47x)
Whereas Isaiah ministered to Judah as the fall of Israel approached, and beyond, Jeremiah ministered to Judah as Judah’s fall approached and beyond. About 70 years separated the prophecies of the two men. Jeremiah is often called the weeping prophet because of his deep sorrows over Judah’s rejection of God and the resulting judgment (9:1). Jeremiah spends his whole ministry calling the people to repent and return to the Lord. For over 60 years, this was his message, and it was ignored by almost everyone. You could count Jeremiah’s converts on one hand, with a couple fingers left over.
Jeremiah was often a reluctant prophet. He didn’t want to become a prophet (1:6), often wanted to run away (9:2), felt sorry for himself (12:1- 6), was nicknamed, “terror on every side” (6:25), because of his message of doom, was persecuted (20:2-3), was not allowed to marry (16:2), lived under constant death threats (26:8-24), is accused of treason (37:13-15), and is ultimately drug off to Egypt against his will (43:6-7). And yet, Jeremiah remained faithful to the Lord and to his ministry for over six decades.
Yet Jeremiah had the privilege of revealing the new covenant (31:31-34) which prophesied of a better day ahead: a day of joy, worship, obedience and forgiveness. His prophecy would become one of the most important themes found in the New Testament book of Hebrews.
But for our key verse we will go with 17:9, which reminds us of why people rebel against the word and in need of redemption.
Key verse: Jeremiah 17:9 – “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; Who can understand it?”
Key word: “The Holy One of Israel” (28x)
Isaiah is the most quoted Old Testament book by the New Testament authors. It covers everything from warnings, to judgment, to God’s grace, to the coming of the Messiah, to His death, to His return to set up His kingdom on earth.
There are so many wonderful portions and verses in Isaiah that it is almost impossible to pick out just a few. But here are some highlights:
1) 9:6-7 – a prophecy of both the first and second coming of Christ. Ultimately, He comes to set up His kingdom and rule over all the earth from the throne of David.
2) All of chapters 40-48 camp out on the greatness of our God. An often-repeated refrain, “I am the Lord, and there is no other” (45:5), describes this section well. There is no one like God (46:9).
3) 52:13-53:12 is unparalleled in its prophecy and description of Christ’s death for our sins. In many ways, this is a fuller picture of the passion of Christ than much of what is given in the New Testament. vv. 2-3 tell of his appearance and rejection. v. 5 tell of His sacrifice v. 6 tells of our need. v. 10 tell of His accomplishments on our behalf.
We will choose 53:6 as our key verse because it summarizes well not only this section of Isaiah, but also the heart of the Gospel.
Key verse: Isaiah 53:6 – “All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way, but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.”
After concluding our look at the Book of Song of Solomon, Pastor Gilley takes a third "pit stop" on our "Biblical Route 66" to summarize everything we've discussed so far.
Key word: Love
If there is any book in the Bible that people do not know what to do with, it is this one. Historically, both the Jews and Christians have dismissed its message and offered allegorical interpretation. But if read literally it reveals a love story – the joys of romantic love within the bounds of marriage.
There are three principle actors within this drama. First, there is King Solomon, who has fallen in love with a beautiful shepherdess. He speaks often of his love and attraction for this young lady who he eventually marries. Knowing Solomon’s less than exemplary relationship with women, many believe this story tells of the one wholesome love in his life. He is very complimentary of this young lady, often telling her how lovely she is (e.g. 1:15, 2:2).
We don’t know the name of the second character, but she is from a place called Shulam and is called the Shulamite (6:13). She is young, a shepherdess, from the working class, but she has caught Solomon’s eye. She is equally complimentary (e.g. 2:3-5). Their great delight is being together, and so makes time to get away and enjoy one another (7:10-12).
There is a third set of players in this story. Some call them the choir, which periodically show up and cheer the lovers on (six times) (e.g. 5:1b). They approve of the love expressed by this couple. As a matter of fact, God approved too. They also warn three times not to allow the physical side of love to be uncontrolled (2:7; 3:5; 8:4).
Overall this is a book about God’s approval of romantic love in marriage. Our key verse is 2:4b – speaking of the bond of love in marriage.
Key verse: Song of Solomon 2:4b – “His banner over me is love.”
Key word: Vanity
This wisdom literature book, written we believe by Solomon in his old age, comes out firing: “Vanity of Vanities! All is vanity” (1:26). This is not exactly a happy or positive message, and many see Ecclesiastes as a depressing book. But it has a vital message for us that can be identified in its repeated words and phrases.
“Vanity” is found 39 times and basically means a mist or vapor. It refers to things that are fleeting and ultimately of little consequence. As Solomon looked around him, he saw most of humanity living empty lives and in essence striving after the wind, a phrase repeated 9 times (1:14). He goes on to mention ten fleeting things that people chase looking for happiness and satisfaction, but always coming up empty. They include pursuing wisdom, pleasure, achievements, possession/money, sex and fame.
Taken at face value, one might despair of life. But we miss Solomon’s point if we skip over a phrase he uses 29 times: “Under the sun”, first found in 1:3. Solomon is describing life as if there is no connection with God. That is, Ecclesiastes tells us of the futility and meaninglessness of life lived as if God did not exist.
What solution does Solomon work out? When one recognizes and lives for God (mentioned 40 times), we receive the simple pleasures He affords as His gift to enjoy (2:24-25). This is the key to solving the puzzle of life and is repeated 7 times (3:12-13; 3:22; 5:18-19; 8:15; 9:7-9 and 12:13).
The thing that changes life from drab, empty and meaningless, to that of enjoyment and meaning, is the recognition of God.
Key verse: Ecclesiastes 12:1a – “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth.”
Speech: The last marker we will take time to check out on our drive through Proverbs is one pertaining to the use of our tongue. James 3:1-11 warns of the uncontrolable nature of the tongue. Nothing can get us in trouble more quickly, or cause more damage than careless words. Yet with our words, we encourage and instruct people and praise God. So, as we might expect Proverbs, this book of practical wisdom, has a great deal to say about our tongues and their use.
Our tongues have the power to destroy or to bless. We destroy by deceitful speech (4:24), by betraying confidences (11:13a), by spreading slander (10:18), which can even separate close friends (16:28), and by stirring up anger (15:1b). So, stay away from such people (20:19). Our tongues also have the power to bless and encourage because it is trustworthy (11:13b), turns away anger (15:1a), and brings delight (15:23). And one of the most beautiful description of a fit world found in all literature is found in 25:11, “Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken in right circumstances (cf v. 12).
Work: Our Lord places a premium on hard work. On the cautionary side, we who might be called “driven” people must be careful not to make an idol out of work. There is more to life than work. And we must not give work more credit than it deserves. Hard work does not give us all good things to enjoy – God does. Nevertheless, work is not part of the curse, as the Lord put people to work immediately after creating them. In Proverbs the “sluggard” and the “slothful” person is spoken of negatively at least 17 times. And the Lord has woven the necessity for work into the very fabric of life (16:26). God intends for our necessities to be met by us going to work, therefore those who refuse to work are going against the grain of the universe as God designed it. Some might lament working as a waste of time when we could spend more time directly serving the Lord if we do not work. Yet God has chosen that most people are to glorify Him through working at a “secular” job. But Proverbs identifies certain marks of a worker approved by God.
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They do their best (22:29).
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They take their work seriously (21:5).
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They are known for their integrity (13:11).
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They are generous (11:25) Our goal should not be riches but to be the kind of people the Lord can trust with riches – because we use it unselfishly.
It is noteworthy that the Prodigal’s first request was, “Father, give me!” But when he returned home his request was, “Make me one of your servants” (Luke 15:12, 19). His lifestyle change had to begin with an attitude adjustment.
Money: Since the Bible is concerned with God, Christ, eternity and Godly living, some might think that the subject of money would be beneath the Bible’s attention. But the opposite is true. Money is part of life in this world, and no matter how “spiritual” you are, or how much you love Jesus, money is part of your life and you need to learn to handle it God’s way. Proverbs has much to say on the subject, quickly, a few biblical lessons concerning money:
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It cannot be trusted (11:28). It will let you down, but righteous living will be faithful.
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It should not be obtained sinfully (10:2), but righteous living delivers from death.
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Avoid debt (22:7).
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Work for financial success (12:11).
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Saving is commended (13:11).
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Generosity (11:25) is honorable.
Friends: Friendship is a natural desire for most people. To share at least a part of your life with some people who love and care about you is an incredible blessing. Virtually, everything said about friendship in the Bible is found in Proverbs.
Today, things like Facebook and its superficial understanding of friends skews what true friendship is. How does God’s word describe it? Friends have four qualities:
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Loyalty (15:24). A true friend is there with and for you through every type of circumstance. They rejoice with you when you experience happiness and success. They help you when you need a hand. They come along side when you are hurting. They rejoice with you when you rejoice and weep with you when you weep (Romans 12:15).
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Love (17:17). A true friend loves you under all circumstances. They are not a fair-weather friend, but are actually at their best when times are tough.
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Is willing to lovingly confront if necessary (27:5-6). A true friend is willing to hurt us a bit in order to help us. Don’t despise the wounds of a friend – they are evidence of true love. Route 66 32
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Improve us (27:9, 17). We all need people (friends) in our lives who sharpen us – who help us to be better people. Look for this quality in a friend. Stay away from those who pull us from the Lord, who corrupt us, whose sinful habits we are absorbing. We will never find a perfect friend but we should look for those who improve us, and who in turn we can improve as well.
Fear of the Lord: Since the central passage, and our theme verse, is 9:10, which declares, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”. It is important to examine this phrase as found in Proverbs. The phrase itself is found numerous times in the Old Testament but only twice in the New Testament: 2 Corinthians 5:11, “Knowing the fear of the Lord we persuade men.” The idea there is that the unbeliever faces eternal judgment from the Lord, and for that reason we are to be motivated to turn them from sin and to Christ by proclaiming the gospel to them. The believer, on the other hand, does not fear judgment, so in what sense does this relate to us? Jonathan Edwards summed it up well, “If men fear God as they fear the devil, they flee from Him, but if they fear Him as the being who He really is, they flee to Him.” At the same time, holy fear causes us to dread displeasing God, not just because of the immediate consequences, but because of the love for our magnificent Lord who has saved us.
In 9:10, Proverbs continues by saying, “And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding”. We cannot properly respond to a God we do not know. Proverbs depicts God as holy, sovereign, compassionate, and wise. Who, in their right mind, would want to be resistant of such a one?
How do you know that you are living with a biblical fear of the Lord?:
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You will stop trusting in your own wisdom and turn to His (3:7).
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You will hate evil (3:7b; 8:13b).
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You will desire to walk in the Lord’s way, not your own (3:6; 14:2).
Proper fear of the Lord will impact every area of one’s life.
Discipline: Many people view discipline in a negative light – but not God. Proverbs commends two kinds of discipline: God’s and parent’s.
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God (3:11-12). Scripture sees God’s disciplines in our life as one of the ways He demonstrates love for His children. In essence, the Lord loves us too much to allow us to go down the wrong path in life without correction. The issue is how we respond to that correction. Proverbs warns us not to reject or hate it, but rather to recall the motive: The Lord loves us, and delights in us. Nothing He brings into our lives is for the purpose of harming us – it is always for our good.
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Parental: our parenting should mirror God’s. So, parent’s discipline their children because they love them (13:24). The goal is to train a child in the way they should live (22:15). And much of that is to drive foolishness from their heart (22:15), and gives wisdom (29:15).
Anger: Anger has always been a universal sinful response to life’s irritations and problems. While there exists a godly anger, most anger is sinful, and as James informs us, “The anger of man does not accomplish the righteousness of God” (1:20). Proverbs has much to say about anger for the most part we get angry because something is not going our way. And while we often see ourselves as clever when we express anger, 29:11 says it is actually a mark of a fool, who imagines himself as clever when anger rules, we are out of control (19:19). How can we uproot anger? First, we need to recognize it for what it is. If we want to weed our flower garden, we need to know a flower from a weed. Secondly, we need to realize that we are not at the mercy of our emotions and we can control them – including anger (16:32). Self-control is actually a fruit of the Spirit. Third, take God seriously when He tells us that He is in charge of righting wrongs – even those which have you all frustrated (20:22). Finally, one very practical action – hang out with peaceable people (22:24-25). Anger can be learned by spending time with angry people. Find people who do not react quickly with anger and learn their ways.
Advice: If wisdom is the mastery of the art of living according to the ways of God, then receiving good, godly advice and instruction plays a key role in such living. Unfortunately, we often get our backs up when people try to advise us. Too often, we think we know what is best and we do not want insight from others. If we take such an attitude, we are the poorer for it. Proverbs calls us to seek out and listen carefully to good, biblical informed counsel (15:22). Having said this, the wise person considers the source of the advice given (12:5). Some advice is destructive – look to the righteous, those who know scripture well, for insight.
Be willing to receive constructive criticism without becoming defensive (27:5-6). If this is not true of us then we will either lose true friends, or they will stop talking to us of anything important.
A.W. Tozer wrote, “Listen to no man who fails to listen to God.” If we stay in the lane what can we expect?
• Success (15:22) – not always but good counsel helps in most areas of life.
• Gaining understanding (15:32).
• Gaining wisdom (19:20).
Those rejecting good counsel should pay attention to the warning found in 29:1 – “A man who hardens his neck after much reproof will suddenly be broken beyond remedy.”
Fools/Foolishness: If the theme of Proverbs is wisdom then the converse is foolishness. Much of Proverbs is written in this form – stating a wise way of living followed by its opposite. Often understanding what something is, can be enhanced by stating what it is not. Proverbs has about as much to say about fools and foolish living, as it does about wise people and wise living.
What does God’s word mean by the words fool and foolish? Proverbs identifies a fool as one who lives according to his own understanding rather than God’s (12:15; 14:12). Proverbs is constantly trying to convince us to abandon our own understanding and adopt God’s (3:5-7). It is the very essence of foolishness to think that our views and our way of living is superior to God’s.
If you identify with this description of foolishness, what can you do about it? First, repent (9:6). Second, learn the way of wisdom (9:9-10), recalling that it is the fear of the Lord that is the beginning of wisdom (9:10). With this as a foundation, study Proverbs diligently for the wisdom found there for walking in God’s way and don’t forget the rest of scripture, which imparts wisdom found in Christ.
Morality: One of the first applications of wisdom addressed in Proverbs has to do with moral purity. Unlike the structure of the rest of the book, Solomon concentrates on this subject, primarily in Chapters 5-7. And he approaches this subject almost entirely from the negative, only once speaking of the joy of physical love within the bounds of marriage (5:15- 19). Solomon illustrates the power of moral temptation with three wordpictures: 1) A seductive lady (7:6-21). Resulting in destruction (7:21-23), 2) Misleading lips (5:3-4), 3) Unstable feet (5:6).
So, how can one avoid such destruction? We start with your heart (your thought life and desires 7:25a). The sins of the mind almost always proceed the sins of the flesh. Continue with your feet (7:25b). We need to literally flee from the place of temptation. If married, turn your physical attention toward your spouse (5:15); finally treasure the wisdom found only in the Lord (7:1-2).
Key word: Wisdom
Have you ever been traveling down the secondary highway systems, such as Route 66, and seen signs along the way indicating that a historical marker lies ahead? As you speed by, you glance over to the markers and see a bronze sign off the road a piece, with considerable writing on it. The signs will detail an important event that took place nearby, or an important person who lived in the area. But if you are like me you seldom, if ever, pull off the road and read these markers – and so while they reference important people or events, we have no idea what they are, and we are the poorer for it.
Proverbs draws a biblical parallel. Here are numerous valuable markers just begging to be explored. To zip by with a casual glance would be a crime. We are going to stop, get out of our car and read the markers. We will be richer for the experience.
We will start with wisdom, since it is the overarching theme of the book. It is wisdom for living – practical wisdom to aid us in the navigation of life that Solomon has in mind. As a matter of fact, Solomon opens the book, addressed to his son, to teach him wisdom and instruction (1:1-2). By definition, wisdom is applied knowledge and the mastery of the art of living. Solomon will apply wisdom to dozens of subjects from anger to morals to our work-ethic. But he distinguishes wisdom available to everyone from wisdom available to the believer. In 1:7, he informs us that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” In 9:10, he substitutes “wisdom” for knowledge, and thus we will use 9:10 as our key verse.
It is possible to be wise with one’s money and yet live like a fool. Foundational to true wisdom is the fear of the Lord. Ryrie defines this as a reverence for God expressed in submission to His will.” No one can truly live wisely who lacks this reverential fear of the Lord. Unless we bow before His sovereign will and majesty we cannot even enter the highway of wisdom.
Key verse: Proverbs 9:10 - “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”
Key word: Praise
As we travel across America in our automobile, especially on the older highway systems such as Route 66, there often is only short distances between towns and cities. But if you are driving across states like Kansas, Nebraska, Montana or the Dakotas, you can travel great distances with no towns, or even gas stations, Psalms is kind of like that. It is by far, the largest book in the Bible with 150 chapters varying from two verses to 176. It is a collection of songs and prayers, gathered from the time of Moses to Solomon and beyond – covering several centuries. David wrote approximately half the Psalms but there are numerous other contributors. Unlike driving across desolate places in America, the Psalms, while extremely long, is a virtual oasis of heart-felt prayers, cries to God for help, thanksgiving and songs of praise. The Psalms, somewhere, touches on every circumstance and emotion we experience, so, no wonder it is so loved by God’s people. In the end, it is a book about praising and worshipping God, thus our key word is praise.
Because of its length, Psalms is divided into five books, each ending in a doxology of praise. And so, unlike our previous stops along the biblical Route 66, we will spend five days observing these five books within the book.
With cruise-control on, as we drove through Book 5 of Psalms, we sped right past the incomparable Psalm 119. Recognizing our error, we now return, get out of our car and take a close look. D. A. Carson believes Psalm 119 is devoted to unpacking Psalm 1:1, “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law, he meditates day and night.” Every verse, of the 176 verses, except for 4 mentions the word of God through the use of one of 11 terms. If Psalm one sets the agenda for the book of Psalms, Psalm 119 unpacks its meaning.
So, we are not surprised to find that if we want to stay pure, we do so by guarding ourselves through the word (v. 9). If we want to keep from sinning, we must treasure the word in our hearts (v. 11). If we treasure the word, we delight in it (v. 16, and mentioned 8 more times). It is the word that revives or gives us true life (v. 37). It is the word that guides us through life (v. 105). And it holds a special place during times of affliction. It is in the crucible of suffering and pain that we are most likely to learn the importance of obedience (v. 67), the value of the word (v. 71), that God is faithful (v. 75), and the protective power of the word (v. 92). In short, we learn that the Lord is good and does good (v. 68).
Key verse: Psalm 1:1-2 – Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night.
Key word: Praise
As we travel across America in our automobile, especially on the older highway systems such as Route 66, there often is only short distances between towns and cities. But if you are driving across states like Kansas, Nebraska, Montana or the Dakotas, you can travel great distances with no towns, or even gas stations, Psalms is kind of like that. It is by far, the largest book in the Bible with 150 chapters varying from two verses to 176. It is a collection of songs and prayers, gathered from the time of Moses to Solomon and beyond – covering several centuries. David wrote approximately half the Psalms but there are numerous other contributors. Unlike driving across desolate places in America, the Psalms, while extremely long, is a virtual oasis of heart-felt prayers, cries to God for help, thanksgiving and songs of praise. The Psalms, somewhere, touches on every circumstance and emotion we experience, so, no wonder it is so loved by God’s people. In the end, it is a book about praising and worshipping God, thus our key word is praise.
Because of its length, Psalms is divided into five books, each ending in a doxology of praise. And so, unlike our previous stops along the biblical Route 66, we will spend five days observing these five books within the book.
Book 5 – Psalm 107-150 emphasizes the word of God. The Messiah is pictured both in his sufferings and in his glorious return. Psalm 110 has the distinction of being the most frequently cited Psalm, more, the most frequently cited Old Testament passage in the New Testament.
Psalm 110 verses are quoted or alluded to a full 17 times in New Testament Scriptures, and verse 4 which contains the only Old Testament reference to Melchizedek outside of Genesis 14, is quoted 3 times in Hebrews and serves as the basis of the whole argument given in Hebrews 7 – that Christ is our High Priest after the order of Melchizedek, not Aaron. Therefore, Christ’s role as both King and Priest is declared in this one short, amazing Psalm.
This book contains some impressive content. Psalms 113-118 are known as the Hallel Psalms, or hymns of praise, and were sung at feasts and Psalms 120-134 are called the Pilgrim Psalms and were sung by Jewish people as they traveled to Jerusalem for the three most important feasts. Then the book ends with God’s hallelujah chorus (Psalms 146-150), each Psalm beginning and ending with “praise the Lord,” with Psalm 150 sounding the high note.
Key verse: Psalm 1:1-2 – Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night.
Key word: Praise
As we travel across America in our automobile, especially on the older highway systems such as Route 66, there often is only short distances between towns and cities. But if you are driving across states like Kansas, Nebraska, Montana or the Dakotas, you can travel great distances with no towns, or even gas stations, Psalms is kind of like that. It is by far, the largest book in the Bible with 150 chapters varying from two verses to 176. It is a collection of songs and prayers, gathered from the time of Moses to Solomon and beyond – covering several centuries. David wrote approximately half the Psalms but there are numerous other contributors. Unlike driving across desolate places in America, the Psalms, while extremely long, is a virtual oasis of heart-felt prayers, cries to God for help, thanksgiving and songs of praise. The Psalms, somewhere, touches on every circumstance and emotion we experience, so, no wonder it is so loved by God’s people. In the end, it is a book about praising and worshipping God, thus our key word is praise.
Because of its length, Psalms is divided into five books, each ending in a doxology of praise. And so, unlike our previous stops along the biblical Route 66, we will spend five days observing these five books within the book.
Book 4 – Psalms 90-106 theme is the sufferings and afflictions of God’s people to end with the reign of Christ. In the meanwhile, God is our strength and protector in the times of trouble. This is clearly depicted in the opening two Psalms in the section, Psalm 90-91 – the only two attributed to Moses. This interplays between trouble in this world and divine rescue have a design. It is to “teach us to number our days” and examine life through eyes of wisdom (90:12). As we do so, our focus turns from our struggles to the satisfaction found in the Lord, resulting in our praise of Him (90:14). Such a person can proclaim that their only shelter from life’s bombardment is the Most High (90:1-4). Psalm 94:19 provides a summary take way and 95:1-2 guides us into worship.
The collection ends with man struggling with life and is stressing out (102:2a). He feels totally out of place like a pelican in the wilderness (102:6). But in Psalm 103, we find a man soaring as an eagle (v. 5b) rather than moping like the pelican. What makes the difference? The Psalm 103 man focuses on the Lord’s redemption and lovingkindess and compassion (vv. 1-4). David is especially thankful that the Lord understands our frailty, does not deal with us as we deserve but loves to pour out compassion and lovingkindess on those who fear Him (vv. 10-14).
Key verse: Psalm 1:1-2 – Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night.
Key word: Praise
As we travel across America in our automobile, especially on the older highway systems such as Route 66, there often is only short distances between towns and cities. But if you are driving across states like Kansas, Nebraska, Montana or the Dakotas, you can travel great distances with no towns, or even gas stations, Psalms is kind of like that. It is by far, the largest book in the Bible with 150 chapters varying from two verses to 176. It is a collection of songs and prayers, gathered from the time of Moses to Solomon and beyond – covering several centuries. David wrote approximately half the Psalms but there are numerous other contributors. Unlike driving across desolate places in America, the Psalms, while extremely long, is a virtual oasis of heart-felt prayers, cries to God for help, thanksgiving and songs of praise. The Psalms, somewhere, touches on every circumstance and emotion we experience, so, no wonder it is so loved by God’s people. In the end, it is a book about praising and worshipping God, thus our key word is praise.
Because of its length, Psalms is divided into five books, each ending in a doxology of praise. And so, unlike our previous stops along the biblical Route 66, we will spend five days observing these five books within the book.
Book 3 – Psalms 73-89 constitutes book three of the Psalms and emphasizes God’s dealings with Israel from the beginning of the nation to the final blessing. Two Psalms are good representations of this collection:
• Psalm 73 – verse one immediately shows that the subject of book three is God and Israel. But Asaph, the author of this Psalm, is not so certain of God’s goodness (v. 2) and is near stumbling because his observations reveal that the wicked often do better in life than the godly (v. 3). It was not until the Psalmist entered the presence of God that he received insight and his attitude changed (v. 17). The wicked just appeared to be living a charmed life; in the end they will face justice (v. 18). The Psalm ends with the author focusing clearly on God who has now become his greatest desire and delight (vv. 25-26).
• Psalm 78 reminds the reader that each generation is responsible to pass to the next generations the wonders of God (vv. 4-7). It was because Israel failed to do this that their nation fell apart. May the same not be true of us.
Key verse: Psalm 1:1-2 – Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night.
Key word: Praise
As we travel across America in our automobile, especially on the older highway systems such as Route 66, there often is only short distances between towns and cities. But if you are driving across states like Kansas, Nebraska, Montana or the Dakotas, you can travel great distances with no towns, or even gas stations, Psalms is kind of like that. It is by far, the largest book in the Bible with 150 chapters varying from two verses to 176. It is a collection of songs and prayers, gathered from the time of Moses to Solomon and beyond – covering several centuries. David wrote approximately half the Psalms but there are numerous other contributors. Unlike driving across desolate places in America, the Psalms, while extremely long, is a virtual oasis of heart-felt prayers, cries to God for help, thanksgiving and songs of praise. The Psalms, somewhere, touches on every circumstance and emotion we experience, so, no wonder it is so loved by God’s people. In the end, it is a book about praising and worshipping God, thus our key word is praise.
Because of its length, Psalms is divided into five books, each ending in a doxology of praise. And so, unlike our previous stops along the biblical Route 66, we will spend five days observing these five books within the book.
Book 2 – Psalms 42-72 while the book of Psalms is one book in the Old Testament scriptures, it breaks itself into five sub-books each end with a doxology of praise. Book one ends in 41:13: blessings. Book two is largely concerned with the suffering of the Godly: deliverance. The first Psalm, 42, in this collection, is representative of much of this sub book. It opens with the Psalmist longing for God (vv. 1-2). It is a beautiful example of the child of God and their longing for the “living God.” But sometimes we stop at verse two and fail to catch the context. The Psalmist is hurting (vv. 3-4). As a matter of fact, he is in despair (v. 5), which is repeated in verse 11, and in different words in verse 6. One reason for his despair is his concern that the Lord has abandoned him at his hour of greatest need (vv. 9-10). Where is hope to be found? Even in the midst of his despair, he knows that hope is found only in the Lord (45:5b, 11b). This is why He is panting for the Lord (v. 1). Even though at this particular moment he is discouraged and downcast, and even though He does not presently experience the comfort he longs for from the Lord, nevertheless he does not give up. He doubles-down on his seeking the Lord, for he knows that is where his hope lies and that in God’s timing, He will deliver him.
Key verse: Psalm 1:1-2 – Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night.
Key word: Praise
As we travel across America in our automobile, especially on the older highway systems such as Route 66, there often is only short distances between towns and cities. But if you are driving across states like Kansas, Nebraska, Montana or the Dakotas, you can travel great distances with no towns, or even gas stations, Psalms is kind of like that. It is by far, the largest book in the Bible with 150 chapters varying from two verses to 176. It is a collection of songs and prayers, gathered from the time of Moses to Solomon and beyond – covering several centuries. David wrote approximately half the Psalms but there are numerous other contributors. Unlike driving across desolate places in America, the Psalms, while extremely long, is a virtual oasis of heart-felt prayers, cries to God for help, thanksgiving and songs of praise. The Psalms, somewhere, touches on every circumstance and emotion we experience, so, no wonder it is so loved by God’s people. In the end, it is a book about praising and worshipping God, thus our key word is praise.
Because of its length, Psalms is divided into five books, each ending in a doxology of praise. And so, unlike our previous stops along the biblical Route 66, we will spend five days observing these five books within the book.
Book 1 – Psalms 1-41 is largely the prayers of David, and the first Psalms to capture the main theme of the Psalter. Psalm one lays the foundation for the blessed life – the life looked on with favor or delight by the Lord. Such a person shuns false people and counsel, and embraces, even delights in the word of God (v. 2). Psalm two instructs us, however, that what mankind ultimately needs is Christ. In the best known of the Messianic Psalms, we find humanity ranging against the Lord (vv. 1-3), and the Lord’s reaction to such defiance (v. 4) and the sending of His son for our redemption (v. 7).
Key verse: Psalm 1:1-2 – Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night.
Key word: Suffering
The key word is suffering especially suffering of the righteous. Everyone thinks of suffering and trials when they think of Job, but the actual theme is the sovereign work of God in our lives. The Lord is always at work shaping and forming us into the people He wants us to be.
When the story begins, we learn immediately that Job is the greatest man alive. He has it all: wealth, honor, respect, a loving family, and a deep viable relationship with God (see vv. 3-4, 8). Satan challenges God to strip Job of all his pleasures and the Lord would discover that Job was a “paid lover” as J.V. McGee frames it. Over the first two chapters, Satan is allowed to remove all of Job’s props, including his health and the support of his wife. In all of this, Job trusted the Lord had the right to do what He wants with His own (2:10), and he continued to worship Him (1:21).
The rest of the book is taken up with dialogue between Job and four friends who come to comfort him (2:11-37:24). Each of the “comforters” bring with them a faulty view of life and God, and Job’s own distorted theology is revealed in the process. Finally, God Himself speaks, revealing truth about Himself and humanity previously unknown to Job and his friends (38:1- 41:34). Chapter 42 tells us that Job ultimately has new understanding of God and repents of his former attitude (42:1-3, 6). God then chooses to restore to Job all that he had lost and more (42:7-17).
There are many excellent verses in Job, which could be used for our key verse, but 1:21b captures the essence of the book and the attitude God desires from us.
Key verse: Job 1:21b – “The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.”
After concluding our look at the Book of Esther, Pastor Gilley takes a second "pit stop" on our "Biblical Route 66" to summarize everything we've discussed so far.
Key word: Jew
Esther is one of the most interesting and unique books in the Bible for a number of reasons:
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It is one of only two books in the Bible named after women. Ruth is about a Gentile woman who marries a Jew, and Esther is a Jewish woman who married a Gentile.
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While Ezra and Nehemiah describe events happening in and around Jerusalem as about 50,000 Jews return from exile Esther tells us what is happening to Jews who did not return but remained in Persia. The story fits between chapters six and seven of Ezra, after the Temple had been rebuilt under Zerubbabel and before Ezra returned.
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While the book is saturated with the sovereignty of God – which is its main theme, the name of the Lord is not used even once.
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It is in Esther that the title “Jews” becomes prominent. Before this time “Jew” was found only 2 times in all the Bible. But in Esther it is used 47 times. It is derived from the word Judah since most of the Babylonian/Persian exiles were from Judah.
The story line tells of King Ahasuerus (also known as Xerxes) of Persia who is in need of a new queen. An empire-wide beauty contest is held and Esther, a beautiful Jewish young lady wins. As the story unfolds, two men come into conflict. Haman, the villain of the story rises to second in command of Persia and demands virtually to be worshipped. Mordecai, Esther’s cousin, and a godly Jew refuses to honor Haman. Haman becomes so furious that he seeks to not only kill Mordecai but all of the Jews. When the king, not realizing Esther is a Jew, allows Haman to carry out his plot, only Esther can save the Jews. God has placed her in the perfect position to rescue her people. Mordecai and Esther turn the tables on Haman and he is hanged and the Jews are allowed by the king to defend themselves, and have a great victory over their enemies. To celebrate this victory, the Feast of Purim was initiated (9:19, 25-26).
Esther is the story of how a sovereign God guides and protects His people even in the midst of evil.
Key verse: Esther 4:14b – “And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?
Key word: Restoration
Originally Nehemiah and Ezra were one book covering the return of the Jewish exiles from the decree of Cyrus in 538 B.C. to 420 B.C. when Nehemiah was governor of Judah. There is a 12-year gap between the book of Ezra and Nehemiah. Then 12 years of Nehemiah’s leadership is detailed, followed by a 12-year gap when Nehemiah returned to Persia, and then finally he returns.
As the book begins almost 100 years have now lapsed since the first return under Zerubbabel. The temple has been completed but the people had been unable to rebuild the city walls. Nehemiah is deplored by this situation and returns to rectify this problem. Not only does he restore the walls and the city, he also restores the people spiritually. Nehemiah has to overcome external enemies and internal lethargy to accomplish these two tasks.
His partner in spiritual restoration was the faithful scribe and priest Ezra. One of the greatest revivals in Scripture takes place under his preaching (8:1-8, 12-9:3). As the word was preached, the people responded with worship and obedience (8:6, 8; 9:3). The key verse is 8:8, which shows the importance of the word of God being taught and understood for spiritual restoration.
Key verse: Nehemiah 8:8 – “They read from the book, from the law of God, translating to give the sense so that they understood the reading.”
Key word: The hand of the Lord
Ezra picks up Judah’s story exactly where 2 Chronicles leaves off. In fact, the last two verses of 2 Chronicles are almost identical to the first three verses of Ezra. (The book tells the story of the returning exiles.) Cyrus releases exiles to return and specifically to rebuild the temple. In Ezra, there are two distinct returns recorded. The first under Zerubbabel and Jeshua (chapters 1-6), and the second under Ezra 78 years later (chapters 7-10).
The attempt to rebuild the temple was stopped due to opposition and not resumed for 15 years, following the prophetic ministries of Haggai and Zechariah.
Ezra brings more exiles back in 515 B.C. Under the first return, 42,360 returned, this time there is 1,754 for total of only 44,114 out of millions who could have come back. But of those who did, by the close of the book of Ezra they were dedicated to and obedient to the Lord.
Our key phrase is, “the hand of the Lord,” which was on Ezra as he followed the Lord. (7:6, 9, 28; 8:18, 22, 31). Why God’s hand was on Ezra is made clear in our key verse.
Key verse: Ezra 7:10 – For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord and to practice it and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.
Key word: Seek (God)
This book begins with the reign of Solomon and continued to the decree of Cyrus for the rebuilding of Jerusalem (960-536 B.C). It deals exclusively with Judah, virtually ignoring Israel. It would be Solomon who would build, furnish and dedicate the temple for the Lord. The high point of 2 Chronicles is Solomon’s prayer of dedication (6:12-42), see 6:14. Israel under Solomon possesses more of the land than at any other time; they are at peace, have a booming economy, and for a time, follow God. But Solomon’s sins and compromises plant the seeds for deterioration in the future, and under his son Rehoboam the kingdom splits into two parts. From this point on, the author turns to Judah. Some of Judah’s kings were godless. Others were a mixed bag, but there are two outstanding lights. Hezekiah restores the temple and temple worship. He restores the Jewish feasts, especially the Passover and unleavened bread (chapters 29-30). More importantly, he led the people to a place of true repentance (30:26-27, 31:1). Josiah would be the last Godly king of Judah. He too was faithful and sought to restore Judah spiritually. But his revival could be described best as reform, for the revival was only superficial. As soon as he dies, the people returned to their sin (chapters 34-35).
The most well-known verse in the book is 7:14, and so although it offers promises specifically to Judah, it does convey a principle that is always true: The Lord desires that we humble ourselves, seek Him and turn from wickedness.
Key verse: 2 Chronicles 7:14 – “My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear them from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
Key word: Covenant
Like the books of Samuel and Kings, the Chronicles were originally one book, which begins with the death of Saul and continues through the captivity in Babylon. As such, much of the material overlaps with the book of 2 Samuel and Kings. So a legitimate question might be what is the purpose for the Chronicles? The answer is that the target audience are the returning exiles who were in need of a brief history of Judah since they had been out of the land for decades.
1 & 2 Chronicles deal almost exclusively with the house of David and Judah. The first book concerns the reign of David, much as 2 Samuel does. The returning exiles needed to be reminded of God’s faithfulness in the setting up of the dynasty with David, in connection with His promises to Abraham. 1 Chronicles, unlike 2 Samuel, focuses almost exclusively on God’s promises to David and his faithful obedience. Virtually nothing concerning David’s faults are mentioned. Even the civil war between Israel and Judah is skipped over. Instead much attention is given to the Davidic covenant, which will be kept by God, regardless of the faithfulness of future kings (1 Chronicles 17). And 1 Chronicles not only describes the preparation David made for the construction of the temple, but also how the expenses for the construction were funded (something not found in 2 Samuel) (chapter 29). As the exiles were commissioned to rebuild the temple, the example is important.
Our key word then is covenant, for despite all the rebellion and sin of God’s people, He has kept His covenant with them – both His promises to the Jews in general, and to David specifically.
Key verse: 1 Chronicles 17:16 – “Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my house that You have brought me this far?”
Key word: Rebellion
Since 1 & 2 Kings were originally one book, 2 Kings picks up where 1 Kings leaves off. It covers about 270 years from the deaths of Ahab (Israel) and Jehoshaphat (Judah) to the fall of both nations. Israel to Assyria in 721 B.C. (1 Kings 17), and Judah to Babylon in 586 B.C.
The narrative concerning Israel is that of progressive spiritual disintegration until finally the Lord turns them over to the consequences of their sin. In one of the most insightful and frightening sections found in Scriptures, the Lord ticks off the multitude of ways Israel defiled themselves and rebelled against God (17:7-23), until finally God had, had enough (17:18). But the most insightful part is found in verse 15, “They followed vanity and became vain” (several translations substitute the word “worthless” for vanity/vain). Ultimately, we become what we worship. Because they followed and lived for worthless things, they became worthless themselves.
As for Judah, their spiritual journey was up and down. Two kings in particular, stand out as exemplary in their devotion to God and spiritual leadership of Judah: Hezekiah (chapters 18-20), and Josiah (chapters 22-23). After the death of Josiah, Judah is on a rapid spiritual downhill slide until Babylon and King Nebuchadnezzar destroys the nation, taking the people into exile in three stages from 605-586 B.C.
As Elijah did in 1 Kings, so Elisha stands out in 2 Kings as a bright spot in the history of the kings. He is Elijah’s prophetic successor and his faithfulness, and efforts to turn the people to the Lord, dominates the first eight chapters.
While a very unpleasant verse, 17:15 has to be our key verse because it describes so perfectly not only Israel’s sin, but also the consequences and it is a powerful reminder to us today.
Key verse: 2 Kings 17:15 – “And they followed vanity and became vain,”
Key word: Compromise
Like 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings were originally one book split into two for convenience. As the book opens, David is on His death bed and is handing the kingdom over to Solomon. The history found in the book will take us forward 126 years through the division of the kingdom and the reigns of Jehoshaphat in Judah and Ahab in Israel.
As we begin the Kings, it is on a high note. Israel is in the land; the kingdom has been established by David and handed off in good shape economically and spiritually to Solomon, the wisest of men. Israel appears to be on the edge of being the blessing to the nations as it was designed by God to be. But something goes terribly wrong as Solomon compromises with false deities and leads Israel astray with him (11:1-2, 6). Israel was at its high-water mark by 4:20, built the temple in chapter 6, and the Lord’s presence filled it in 8:10. Solomon dedicates the temple in 8:12-66.
After Solomon’s death, Rehoboam, his son ascended to the throne, but soon civil war broke out and Jeroboam took the northern tribes of Israel, while Rehoboam was king over the Southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin, known only as Judah going forward. The division was never mended and the rest of the kings tell the narrative of 20 kings in Judah and 20 kings in Israel. There would be constant war between the two nations (14:30). Israel fully abandons the Lord and none of the 20 kings ever follow Him. Judah, ruled by Davidic descendants will be ruled by a mixture of Jehovah worshipers and apostates.
The most outstanding character during this time was not a king, but a prophet – Elijah (see chapter 17-19). Here was a man who stood against all odds, against kings and queens, against a multitude of idol worshipping prophets and priests, against virtually a whole nation and proclaimed that the Lord alone is God.
There are a few bright lights in 2 Kings, especially Elijah, but the story line is basically one of failure due to initial compromise. 1 Kings begins with Israel worshiping God and ends with a divided nation worshipping false gods. We are always only one generation away from spiritual failure and 1 Kings models this sad truth all too well.
Key verse: 1 Kings 18:21 – “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow Him.”
Key word: Compromise
Like 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings were originally one book split into two for convenience. As the book opens, David is on His death bed and is handing the kingdom over to Solomon. The history found in the book will take us forward 126 years through the division of the kingdom and the reigns of Jehoshaphat in Judah and Ahab in Israel.
As we begin the Kings, it is on a high note. Israel is in the land; the kingdom has been established by David and handed off in good shape economically and spiritually to Solomon, the wisest of men. Israel appears to be on the edge of being the blessing to the nations as it was designed by God to be. But something goes terribly wrong as Solomon compromises with false deities and leads Israel astray with him (11:1-2, 6). Israel was at its high-water mark by 4:20, built the temple in chapter 6, and the Lord’s presence filled it in 8:10. Solomon dedicates the temple in 8:12-66.
After Solomon’s death, Rehoboam, his son ascended to the throne, but soon civil war broke out and Jeroboam took the northern tribes of Israel, while Rehoboam was king over the Southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin, known only as Judah going forward. The division was never mended and the rest of the kings tell the narrative of 20 kings in Judah and 20 kings in Israel. There would be constant war between the two nations (14:30). Israel fully abandons the Lord and none of the 20 kings ever follow Him. Judah, ruled by Davidic descendants will be ruled by a mixture of Jehovah worshipers and apostates.
The most outstanding character during this time was not a king, but a prophet – Elijah (see chapter 17-19). Here was a man who stood against all odds, against kings and queens, against a multitude of idol worshipping prophets and priests, against virtually a whole nation and proclaimed that the Lord alone is God.
There are a few bright lights in 2 Kings, especially Elijah, but the story line is basically one of failure due to initial compromise. 1 Kings begins with Israel worshiping God and ends with a divided nation worshipping false gods. We are always only one generation away from spiritual failure and 1 Kings models this sad truth all too well.
Key verse: 1 Kings 18:21 – “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow Him.”
Key word: David
This historical book begins with David ascending the throne of Israel and ends as he is old and approaching death. So, it is the account of God at work in Israel during the dynasty of King David, which extends about 40 years. David’s reign does not begin peacefully. Judah makes him king first and David reigns over them for 7 ½ years, but there was civil war with the rest of Israel and the house of Saul (3:1). Finally, Israel is united under David and would follow him for the next 33 years (5:5). David increases in greatness for the Lord was with him (5:10).
The Lord was with David because his heart was right before God as seen in his bringing the Ark back to Jerusalem (chapter 6), and desiring to build a house for the Lord (chapter 7). The Lord would not allow David to build a house for Him, but the Lord promises to build a house for David (7:11, 16). This is known as the Davidic Covenant and its ultimate fulfillment will be when Christ Himself sits on David’s throne when He returns (Luke 1:32-33).
Chapter 7 constitutes the high mark of the book; the rest describes the highs and lows of David’s life. The best-known low is his sin with Bathsheba. Even a man after God’s own heart can commit terrible sin if they are not on guard. David let down his guard and does a horrifying thing, and the consequences of that sin, although forgiven, are recorded in the remainder of the book.
This little key verse epitomizes David’s life, and should ours as well. David was not a great man, except as he trusted a great God.
Key verse: 2 Samuel 22:2 – “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer.” (also found in Psalm 18)
Key word: Kingdom
Originally the books of 1 & 2 Samuel were one book and were eventually broken into two books because it was difficult to fit all the material on one scroll due to the large amount of material. The Samuels trace the history of Israel from the latter day of the Judges through the early life of David. First Samuel starts with the birth of Samuel, the last of the Judges, and the first of the great prophets, and concludes with the death of Saul, Israel’s first king. Thus the book shows the origin of the Kingdom, or monarchy of Israel, which is established around 1050 BC.
As Samuel grows up and leads Israel, he guides them in a return to following the Lord (7:3-4). But sadly his sons did not walk in the ways of the Lord (8:5) and people cry for a king so they could be like the other nations. But in doing so they rejected the Lordship of God (8:7). Nevertheless, the Lord has Samuel appoint Saul as their first king. Saul starts well but proves to be a grave disappointment. The Lord has Samuel anoint David as the next king which sets up massive conflict with Saul who did not want to lose his power. The rest of the book chronicles that conflict. What poor Saul did not get, but David did, is found in our key verse. Saul thought all was well if he followed religious ritual (at least to a degree), but David was a man who followed the Lord with his heart (13:14).
Key verse: 1 Samuel 15:22b – “To obey is better than sacrifice.”
After concluding our look at the Book of Ruth, Pastor Gilley takes a "pit stop" on our "Biblical Route 66" to summarize everything we've discussed so far.
Key word: Redemption
Ruth is one of the most beautiful stories in all the Scripture. It takes place during the time of the Judges, demonstrating that not everyone was living godless lives, and that the Lord had not forsaken His people even if most had rejected Him. It is instructive that in the Hebrew arrangement of the Old Testament books that Ruth is placed after Proverbs, and specifically immediately after Proverbs 31 and the virtuous woman. Ruth epitomizes the Proverbs 31 woman.
The story line follows a Jewish family which fled from Israel to Moab during the terrible famine. While staying in Moab for 10 years, Naomi’s husband and sons died and she returns home with her Moabite daughter-in-law Ruth. Ruth is determined to take care of Naomi and does. Along the way, she meets and marries the godly Boaz and has a son who will be the grandfather of David , the king of Israel and ancestor of Jesus.
But this simple story has deeper significance, as found in the Hebrew word “Gaal”, meaning kinsman-redeemer, used 13 times in Ruth. The kinsman-redeemer was a near relative who would just back a relative’s property if they had to sell due to financial problems. They would also marry a widow and raise up children in the name of the dead husband thus keeping his line alive and his property in the family. Boaz would be Ruth’s kinsman-redeemer. This picture points straight to Christ who would become our Redeemer – buying us back from sin and giving us a new life in Him.
Key verse: Ruth 4:14 – “Blessed is the Lord who has not left you without a redeemer today.”
Key word: Failure
There is not a sadder book in all the Bible than Judges. After the great successes under Joshua, we find the next generation not only giving back all Israel had gained, but deteriorating to a new depth of depravity (2:10-11). One tragic account after another is compiled, although there were glimmers of victory and hope. As a matter of fact, there is a reoccurring cycle found throughout the book and its 350 years of history: the people rebelled, God judges their sin, they cry out for mercy, the Lord sends judges or leaders to deliver them, they repent, God restores and they sin and the cycle starts all over again.
While some of the most memorable stories in Scripture are found in Judges, such as Gideon and Samson, who gets Chapters 13-16 devoted to his life, most of the stories, even these two, are stories of failure for one simple reason: instead of meditation on the word of God and following it (Joshua 1:8), everyone did what was right in their own eyes (21:25, 17:6).
Key verse: Judges 21:25b – “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”
Key word: Success
Finally, after 40 years of messing up, the people are ready to follow the Lord in conquest of the land. It should be noted that removal of the Canaanites by Israel was God’s judgment on them for the iniquity and idolatry and was prophesied all the way back to Abraham (Genesis 15:16) over 500 years earlier. Their removal was necessary to avoid Jewish compromise, pollution and idolatry.
The book will cover about 30 years, from the time of Moses’s death, to the death of Joshua. It covers the conquest of much, but not all the land and its division among the tribes. Bookend in: these details are two powerful sections/statements. The first one is by God as He promises success if Joshua and the people will trust and obey the Lord and His word (1:5-9). The second statement is by Joshua and reflects his life of service to Jehovah (24:14-15).
Key verse: Joshua 1:8 – “This book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.”
Key word: Reminders
Deuteronomy means a second Law but it is really a repetition and explanation of the Law already given. It reviews many things found in the previous four books, and was written by Moses just before his death just prior to Israel finally entering the land promised to them by God. 69 times in the book God promises Israel they will inherit the land.
One of the prominent sections is chapters 27-28 which lists curses for rebellious sin (27:15-16; 28:15-20), and blessings for obedience (28:1-8). It is interesting that when Satan tempted Jesus, Jesus repelled the Devil by quoting from Deuteronomy three times.
Ultimately to love the Lord is the most important thing in life and Jesus confirms it is the greatest of the commandments (Matthew 22:37).
Key verse: Deuteronomy 6:5 – “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”
Key word: Wanderings
Numbers records the sad consequences of Israel’s consistent rebellion against the Lord. It is called Numbers because of the census taken of the Exodus generation (1:46), and one taken of the Conquest generation 38 years later (26:51). The numbers are essentially the same because virtually everyone who left Egypt died in the wilderness even though it would have taken only a few weeks to travel from Egypt to Canaan, it took 40 years because of theirsin. By 14:22, Moses records that the people grumbled and rebelled so often (10 times already) that the Lord doomed them to perish in the wilderness (14:29). Only Joshua and Caleb of those over 20, were allowed to enter the Promised Land.
1 Corinthians 10:11 said all these failures were written down for our instruction. Yet in the midst of all this defiance the Lord desired to bless His people as reflected in Aaron’s great prayer of benediction for them (6:24-26).
Key verse: Numbers 6:24 – “The Lord bless you, and keep you.”
Key word: Holiness
While far too many people pull off the biblical Route 66 at the Leviticus exit, properly understood this is an essential and even exciting book. Its title references the Jewish tribe of Levi, the tribe chosen by the Lord to lead Israel in worship. The sacrificial system was at the heart of that worship because it was the means by which their sins would be covered until the ultimate forgiveness found in Christ’s sacrifice. Five major offerings are explained in the first seven chapters, and 17:11 implies, and Hebrews 9:22 states, “Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin.”
But even more fundamental to Leviticus is the holiness of God. Leviticus 19:2- 4 informs us that He is a holy God and therefore His followers are to be holy people. Holy means separate, and in this context speaks of being separate from all impurities, pollutants and sin. And while only God is pure holiness, His people should desire and strive for the same because He is holy.
Key verse: Leviticus 19:2b – “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.”
Key word: Deliverance
As Genesis concludes, we find the descendants of Abraham living in Egypt, having abandoned the land promised to them for the conveniences of a more civilized and developed country. In time, the Jewish people were no longer considered honored guests but hated slaves (1:8). They had entered Egypt as free people, they were now in bondage. They had entered Egypt as worshippers of Jehovah, by the time of Moses, they hardly recalled the Lord and were idolaters. What they needed was to be set free from bondage, both physical and spiritual. The Lord would call and prepare Moses to bring deliverance to His people. The Exodus is the story of that physical deliverance (chapters 1-18). The giving of the Law (chapters 19-24). So that they might find spiritual deliverance, and the building of the Tabernacle (chapters 25-40), that they might worship the Lord. Unfortunately, even as the Law was being given and the tabernacle being designed the people rebelled and briefly returned to idolatry (Chapter 32) but the Lord forgives them and the journey continues which bridges the physical and spiritual deliverance.
Key verse: Exodus 20:2 – “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.”
Key word: Beginnings
We begin our journey in the biblical Route 66 with Genesis. The word Genesis means origin or beginning, and so the book is perfectly named for its details. Without the information given in Genesis, especially the first twelve chapters we would be in the dark concerning massive issues. Genesis tells us of the beginning of almost everything:
• Creation Chapter 1
• Humanity Chapter 2 (1:27)
• Marriage Chapter 2
• Sin Chapter 3 +
• Sacrifice Chapter 3:21; 4
• Government Chapter 9
• Nations Chapter 11
• Israel Chapter 12
Key verse: Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning God created the heavens and earth.”
U.S. Route 66, also known as the “Mother Road” was one of the original highways in the U.S. Highway system. Established in 1926, it became the most famous road in America, running from Chicago to Los Angeles, covering 2,448 miles. Many stretches of the highway remain today and people come from all over the world to travel part or all of it. Since it runs straight through Springfield, it is part of our history and a few establishments such as Cozy Dog still exist. Others have banked on its fame recently. The largest Route 66 sign in the world was erected in Springfield.
But if you decided to travel the entire Route 66, or what remains of it, you easily get lost. The only way to succeed is to follow the signs posted along the way.
Similarly, many Christians decided to take a trip through the Bible, but soon lose their way. As they try to navigate the many twists and turns they find it a difficult task, and in frustration often give up. We may love the words of the song “Ancient Words” and yet when it comes to knowing those words and living them, we are still stuck in Joliet. What is needed are some helpful signs, pointing the way.
Isaiah 30:21 promises Israel that the true Word comes when He, as their Teacher, would whisper in their ears, “This is the way, walk in it.” And so the Lord has provided for us 66 books contained in Scripture to serve as sign posts to show us the way through life; a life lived for the glory of God. We will be identifying these 66 signs one at a time on our “Wonderful Day in the Lord” broadcast.
Our format: 1. A brief overview of each book of the Bible. 2. A key word (or phrase). 3. A key verse(s).
Our challenge: 1. Memorize the key word and verse, or at least know what the verse is and where it may be found. 2. Write these down in a notebook or on the first page of each biblical book. 3. If you have children watch broadcasts together, do point #1-#2 together, use these as an aid to fulfill the instruction found in Deuteronomy 6:4-7; Eph 6:4. We often encourage parents to guide their children in spiritual things, but many feel ill-equipped. This Route 66 will give you tools to accomplish this wonderful assignment from the Lord.
U.S. Route 66, also known as the “Mother Road” was one of the original highways in the U.S. Highway system. Established in 1926, it became the most famous road in America, running from Chicago to Los Angeles, covering 2,448 miles. Many stretches of the highway remain today and people come from all over the world to travel part or all of it. Since it runs straight through Springfield, it is part of our history and a few establishments such as Cozy Dog still exist. Others have banked on its fame recently. The largest Route 66 sign in the world was erected in Springfield.
But if you decided to travel the entire Route 66, or what remains of it, you easily get lost. The only way to succeed is to follow the signs posted along the way.
Similarly, many Christians decided to take a trip through the Bible, but soon lose their way. As they try to navigate the many twists and turns they find it a difficult task, and in frustration often give up. We may love the words of the song “Ancient Words” and yet when it comes to knowing those words and living them, we are still stuck in Joliet. What is needed are some helpful signs, pointing the way.
Isaiah 30:21 promises Israel that the true Word comes when He, as their Teacher, would whisper in their ears, “This is the way, walk in it.” And so the Lord has provided for us 66 books contained in Scripture to serve as sign posts to show us the way through life; a life lived for the glory of God. We will be identifying these 66 signs one at a time on our “Wonderful Day in the Lord” broadcast.
Our format:
-
A brief overview of each book of the Bible.
-
A key word (or phrase).
-
A key verse(s).
Our challenge:
-
Memorize the key word and verse, or at least know what the verse is and where it may be found.
-
Write these down in a notebook or on the first page of each biblical book.
-
If you have children watch broadcasts together, do point #1-#2 together, use these as an aid to fulfill the instruction found in Deuteronomy 6:4-7; Eph 6:4. We often encourage parents to guide their children in spiritual things, but many feel ill-equipped. This Route 66 will give you tools to accomplish this wonderful assignment from the Lord.
As we finally draw our study of the Book of Ephesians to a close, after almost one hundred days, Pastor Gary returns to his basic outline of the book -- sit, walk, stand.
This episode of "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" concludes our verse-by-verse exegetical study of the Book of Ephesians. You don't want to miss it! Tune in tomorrow as Pastor Gary provides one last overview of the book!
No proper study of the armor of God is complete without recognizing the true energy and sustaining force behind the armor. Join us this morning as we conclude this section of our study, and don't forget to check back in the next two days as we conclude the Book of Ephesians.
The final component of the armor of God is the Sword of the Spirit. We will examine it together with Pastor Gary this morning on "A Wonderful Day in the Lord."
Our final full week of exegetically studying the Book of Ephesians begins with an examination of the Helmet of Salvation. Join Pastor Gary this morning as we draw near to the finish line of this particular study.
The Shield of Faith is the specific component of the armor of God that we will discuss today on "A Wonderful Day in the Lord." Grab your copy of the Scriptures and join with us.
As we continue examining the different components of the armor of God, today Pastor Gary helps us look at the Gospel of Peace.
Today we continue examining the specific components of the armor of God by looking at the Breastplate of Righteousness.
As we draw ever neared to the end of our study of Ephesians, we finally begin to examine the specific components of the armor of God. This morning Pastor Gary helps us understand the Belt of Truth.
It is essential for the believer to put on the full armor of God. If you want to know why, listen now!
Ephesians 6:12 describes "the spiritual forces of wickedness [as being] in the heavenly places." What are these heavenly places, or heavenlies? We take a look today on "A Wonderful Day in the Lord."
When is armor used? When going to war! Pastor Gary looks at the topic of biblical spiritual warfare in our study this morning.
Part of our need for the armor of God is born out of the schemes of the devil. Pastor Gary helps us take a look at this today.
After our introduction to the armor of God, this morning Pastor Gary Gilley looks at why we need the armor of God.
Southern View Chapel senior pastor Gary Gilley introduces us to another beloved section of the Word of God on this morning's episode of "A Wonderful Day in the Lord." Join us as we begin to examine the armor of God.
As we continue on in the final chapter of Ephesians, Pastor Gary looks at commands to masters this morning on "A Wonderful Day in the Lord."
One of the important aspects of Bible study is understanding the historical context. To better understand our passage this morning, Pastor Gary helps us understand the Roman slave system.
On today's episode of "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" Pastor Gary takes a closer looks at the father's responsibility to provide instruction in his home. Join us as we take a look at what the Word has to say.
As we begin to look at the last chapter of Ephesians, Paul provides practical instruction for several groups of people. The second of these groups is fathers.
As we begin to look at the last chapter of Ephesians, Paul provides practical instruction for several groups of people. The first of these groups is children.
As we conclude the fifth chapter of the Book of Ephesians, we take a closer look at the mystery of the union of Christ and His church. Join us today on "A Wonderful Day in the Lord."
The standard for all conduct in the believer's life is set by the Bible. Today Pastor Gary looks at the standard for marital love set before us in the Scriptures.
Paul continues in this beloved passage on marriage, explaining how the union between man and woman is designed to reflect the union of Christ and His church.
In a very well known passage of Scripture, Paul provides instruction for marriage. Today we look at the husband's role in the marriage relationship.
In a very well known passage of Scripture, Paul provides instruction for marriage. Today we look at the wife's role in the marriage relationship.
How do you know if you're being filled with the Spirit? Pastor Gary's study this morning on "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" will help us understand.
What a blessing it is in the life of one who knows God to be filled with the Spirit. If you haven't felt this blessing or don't know what it means, listen in!
Paul's instructions to the church of Ephesus continue when he says "be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise." This morning we try to get a clear picture of what it means to walk in wisdom.
Now that we have defined walking in the light, the next several verses contrast that walk. Pastor Gary continues to exegete the Word of God on today's episode of "A Wonderful Day in the Lord."
Our daily podcast "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" continues into the month of August as our study of the Book of Ephesians takes us to chapter 5, verses 9 and 10. Join us as we define walking in the light.
Contrary to a having lifestyle of sin, the believer is called to walk in the light. Join Pastor Gary as we study the Word together today.
Ephesians 5:5-6 help us differentiate between having moments of sin and having a lifestyle of sin. This is an important distinction for the believer to understand. Join us as we take a look.
What can hinder our walk in love, or "love walk," as Pastor Gary calls it. This morning's episode of "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" examines this topic.
Any time we're instructed to do something "just as Christ," the task might immediately seem daunting. Pastor Gary this morning takes a look at what it means to "walk in love, just as Christ loved you."
Remember that one of our efforts in this podcast is to help the believer know how to read their Bible. Today Pastor Gary will take a look at the use of connecting words in Scripture, a subject that can be very helpful in our own studies!
After warning us not to grieve the Holy Spirit, the conclusion of the fourth chapter of the Book of Ephesians talks once more about anger. Today's episode of "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" looks at this passage.
After providing a clear picture of what it looks like to put on the new self, Paul warns the church at Ephesus not to grieve the Holy Spirit. Pastor Gary exegetes this portion of the Word today.
The final example of the put off/put on principle we will take a look at is that of communication. Paul elaborates on this example in Ephesians 4:29-30, join us in your copy of the Word of God as we dive in.
The third example Paul provides of the put off/put on principle in Ephesians is that of stealing. Join us this morning on "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" as we take a look.
The next example we see of the put off/put on principle is anger. Southern View Chapel's senior pastor, Gary Gilley, opens the Scriptures with us to this subject today.
Our next several episodes of "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" will highlight specific examples of the put off/put on principle. The first of these is falsehoods, as expressed in Ephesians 4:25.
Pastor Gary looks the inexplicable joy of being created in righteousness and holiness of the truth -- the type of creation that defines the new self. Join us and listen!
The believer is called to be renewed in the spirit of his or her mind. On today's episode Pastor Gary looks at this passage with us.
What does it mean to "lay aside the old self" and to "put on the new self?" Pastor Gary examines this concept as we continue our study of the Book of Ephesians.
This morning on "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" Pastor Gary returns to one of our theme words for Ephesians, "walk."
What is the purpose of the body of Christ? How do we minister collectively? We'll learn more on today's episode of A Wonderful Day in the Lord.
Maturity is important in the life of the believer. Paul, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, has some things to say about the subject. Join Pastor Gary as we evaluate.
What does it mean to equip the saints? How are the saints equipped? The Book of Ephesians gives us some insight into this, and Pastor Gary examines it with us this morning.
Today's episode continues yesterday's discussion of roles in the church and how they have changed since the earliest days of the church.
There are roles in the early church that don't exist today. What were those roles? Why don't they exist today? On today's episode of A Wonderful Day in the Lord Pastor Gary discusses this subject.
In some ways, diversity is a buzzword. But what does diversity look like in the body of Christ? Pastor Gary examines what Paul says about this in the Book of Ephesians.
We live in divided times. Even the church, whether it be local bodies or large denominations, seems to be on the verge of different divides all the time. However, Paul encourages unity in our area of study today. Join Pastor Gary as we take a look this morning.
Our examination of repeated words in the Book of Ephesians continues this morning. Join Pastor Gary as we dive in.
As we make our way in the second half of the Book of Ephesians, we begin this section of our study by considering a repeated word in the text. Pastor Gary discusses how repeated words can be very important in deciphering a theme of any given book.
Paul's prayer ends in worship, a wonderful way to close out communication with the Most High. Pastor Gary looks at the end of this second prayer in today's episode.
As we near the end of Paul's second prayer, Pastor Gary helps us examine what the fullness of God mentioned in this prayer means.
There's so much we don't understand, so much we can't understand, without a comprehension granted by God. This morning on A Wonderful Day in the Lord we see how this plays into Paul's prayer.
Faith is one of the most important elements of our walk as followers of Christ. Join us as Pastor Gary evaluates this within Paul's prayer.
Continuing our examination of Paul's prayer, Pastor Gary looks at the supplications presented in today's episode.
This morning we examine another of Paul's prayers. Join us as Pastor Gary dives into this great text.
There are many, many things revealed to us in God's Word. But there are also still many mysteries. On today's episode Pastor Gary looks at what some of these mysteries contain.
Christ, even with all of the information contained in the Scriptures, is still a mystery in many ways. Pastor Gary examines how that is so.
If our emphasis on the gospel seems to be repetitive, that's because it is. After all, it's the good news, the most important thing we could possibly proclaim. In today's episode of "A Wonderful Day in the Lord," we look at that wonderful promise once again.
Grace, one of the central themes of the New Testament, and the means of our salvation. Pastor Gary again dives in to what Paul has to say on this subject.
We've been reading Paul's letter to the church at Ephesus, but who is Paul? We find out a little bit about the apostle in today's episode of "A Wonderful Day in the Lord."
Unity requires a foundation. For the church, the only true bastion of unity, Christ is that foundation. As we close out chapter two of the Book of Ephesians, Pastor Gary describes how Jesus Christ serves as the church's cornerstone.
The world is full of strife and division. The church is meant to be united. Pastor Gary looks at Christian unity in our study today.
Paul is oftentimes called the apostle to the Gentiles. Pastor Gary helps us decipher what that means from today's passage in the second chapter of Ephesians.
Paul told us to remember our former separation from Christ, and now he again gives us a powerful transition: "but now in Christ Jesus."
In the next section of Ephesians 2 Paul has several things he tells us to remember. Pastor Gary looks at these things with us today on "A Wonderful Day in the Lord."
How is the believer to walk? Ephesians 2:10 says we are to walk in good works. What does this mean? Pastor Gary helps us take a look today!
Ephesians 2:1-9 looks at salvation, why it's necessary and how it's accomplished. Ephesians 2:10 looks at "what next." Join Pastor Gary as he examines this key verse.
An important strategy in systematic Bible study is the use of cross references. Pastor Gary helps us understand this important tool for our study arsenal.
"Sola Gratia," by grace alone, a foundational truth in understanding our salvation. On this episode of "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" Pastor Gary looks at the incredible gift of grace.
We've looked at what the believer has been saved from, but what has he or she been saved to? Join Pastor Gary as we look at this topic today.
After four days of looking at the sinners need for salvation, today Pastor Gary helps us look at two of the most incredible words in Scripture, one of the best transitions we could ever read: "but God."
Pastor Gary concludes his look into the need for salvation, out of the second chapter of the Book of Ephesians.
Pastor Gary continues his look into the need for salvation, out of the second chapter of the Book of Ephesians.
Pastor Gary continues his look into the need for salvation, out of the second chapter of the Book of Ephesians.
As we move into the second chapter of Ephesians, Pastor Gary examines a passage of Scripture many believers cherish and have even memorized. This week in particular we will spend several days discussing the need for salvation.
As Paul's prayer in Ephesians 1 comes to a close, the church plays a key role. Join us as Pastor Gary takes a look at the conclusion to this prayer.
The final request in Paul's prayer is for power. What does this mean? Join us as Pastor Gary elaborates the answer as revealed in the Word of God.
Pastor Gary continues to help us study Paul's epistle to the church at Ephesus. In particular, today we pick up our dive into a wonderful prayer of Paul's.
Paul's prayer in Ephesians 1 includes several requests, the first of which is wisdom. Join us this morning as we take a closer look at this wonderful example of bringing supplications to God.
Prayer is one of the most important aspects of every believer's life. Pastor Gary looks at Paul's example of prayer in the first chapter of Ephesians.
The last spiritual blessing Paul mentions in his introduction to the Book of Ephesians is that of believers being "sealed." Join us as Pastor Gary elaborates on this important topic.
In the first chapter of Ephesians Paul discusses an inheritance believers have received. What is this inheritance? Pastor Gary examines this in today's episode of "A Wonderful Day in the Lord."
What mysteries are contained in Scripture? Which have been revealed? Join Pastor Gary today as he discusses this topic out of the first chapter of the Book of Ephesians.
Pastor Gary continues our examination of the first chapter of Ephesians, looking today at what it means to be "redeemed."
Pastor Gary continues our examination of the first chapter of Ephesians, looking today at what it means to be "adopted."
Pastor Gary continues our examination of the first chapter of Ephesians, looking today at what it means to be "chosen."
As we open Ephesians together, the first few verses of the epistle provide several themes carried throughout the whole book. Pastor Gary helps us take a look at what those are and discusses how to find themes.
One of the first steps of systematic Bible study is creating an outline of the entire book you want to study. Pastor Gary helps us do that with the Book of Ephesians.
After discussing the importance of Bible study yesterday, today Pastor Gary provides an overview of what systematic Bible study is and how to do it.
As we launch our study of the Book of Ephesians Pastor Gary discusses the importance of systematic study of the Word of God.